FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Luna and Thief Chapter 26: A Quelled Flame

She sat with her tails sprawled out on the carpet while a curious firm glance came to the bathroom door… Luna only dared to watch a narrow line of light and the soft hover of steam which flicked from it. This look of confusion and loss slipped over her as she'd just huff in boredom.

What was that all about? It came to her mind as she'd tenderly yawn; it left her to make a tiny whine by the end of it… a light number of tears came to her eyes from how hard she did. I'm exhausted… Why is Griffin still up anyways? Luna just flicked her ears… a voice? No… two? She couldn't tell except that it came from the dresser behind her. A little chord with a weight hung from it half-hazardly. Luna pushed her paws up to it and gave it a gentle little swat.

The cord clacked… or at least the weight on the end did and there was a voice from it. It made her giggle and she gave it another swat with her paws. Then the chord just dropped right down in front of her. A curious little sniff came over it. It smells weird… like… wax maybe? Her tongue touched it and she immediately regretted THAT decision.

It left her to try and get the taste out of her mouth with the back of her paw… but the chord looked enticing. This little, thin black wire – she tugged on that with her teeth and that's when Griffin's phone clattered to the carpet. A curious nose… and gentle nudge and she'd end up with this bright blue light; an obnoxious kind of light.

The picture made her recoil, it looked like a Pokémon trapped in a forest… like an oil painting on the screen. Where is that voice coming from? Is it from it? Luna just curiously looked all around the phone If Thief was here, he could read the silly thing… all the symbols don't look normal either. They always look like… a house maybe or weird lines? Luna had to tilt her head and picture all sorts of written language.

Those symbols didn't make sense to her and she just huffed and partially laid and ear down against the weight, the black nub at the end of the wire. It's… singing? It's not like how Griffin normally talks… She just twitched her ears and listened to it.

There wasn't much else to do… since Griffin hadn't even unpacked his clothes or… anything. His bag just stared back at her from the doorway… as this ominous little hue glowed from his Poké Ball belt. A gentle yellow, sunlight color just blinked … until it finally flicked blue and every single one changed to a solid red.

It made Luna poke at the button in the center but the Poké Ball didn't respond to it. None of them did.

It was this beep; a loud beep that made Luna jump – it came from the phone and she'd just look at the symbols. Something new came onto the screen but the singing kept on. It was this sweet... slow song.

_Do… humans listen to this? Griffin just started to listen to it more… I guess? He didn't before at all. It's like he's changing in some weird way.

Why am I… worried? Relieved? Whatever he did he feels… different. Just a little different. He even only gave me half a bath or whatever…_ Luna just huffed and then blew at the tufts in front of her eyes. They just floated before it flapped back down where it belonged, as though to spite her vision. Then… the little song changed into something more… confusing? Luna just looked at some jolt of sound, a voice that started slow, immediately changed to an orchestra of instruments and sounds so alien to her. All she felt was heavy eyes…

Come on… I wanna go to bed, but I don't know what's wrong… Griffin? He was in the shower immediately after he stared at his little screen pointlessly. He just touched it a few times and then put it down.

It took him a moment, as though that little… obscure choice was something so important and vital… yet Luna couldn't tell what he did or even why.

Another Poké Ball changed to yellow and blinked a few times before it turned to blue… that's when Griffin's phone played a loud and weird chime.

Again with the scary and loud noises – Luna felt her tail quiver instinctively as she started at the now buzzing and beeping box. It just kept on going for a few seconds before it abruptly stopped. Luna just listened to the water run and looked under the door. She sniffed it a few times first before she passed this weird tilt of her head and snorted

There's no… steam? It smells like cold water. I thought humans always used warm water… why is it cold? A tilt of her head and the utter confusion swept over her as she'd picture him in the chair which rested – empty nearby a glass sliding door. All he did was pet me for the whole time. Why me? It came through as a bitter question. It should have been Bandit or… Thief or anyone else. This small guilty look came over her as she tossed her gaze away from the door. I constantly… want to go home but… Luna blinked and looked down at her paws for just a second. I'm… afraid.

Is… it wrong to be afraid of that? To feel like I left on such bad terms… with everything or… everyone? The door cracked open as Griffin began to walk out and gave a long yawn. Luna followed in suite. They just stared at one another for a minute.

“You've been waiting out here the whole time? I'm not going to bed yet." Griffin explained and that left her to tilt her head as though annoyed with him.

Seriously!? It came to her thoughts as Griffin wandered over to her Poké Ball.

“I'll probably have to go out too, so it be better to sleep in here…" Griffin expressed and softly grabbed her Poké Ball. She parted her legs and gave a tiny snarl one that made him tilt his head for only a moment. He just stopped…

I don't want to, I've been stuck in there all night… So, no. I'm not sleeping in the stupid thing! It's bad enough you let me in the dumb thing in the first place… It's bad enough I LET YOU… Luna thought firmly and just glanced Griffin down as he gave a little complacent nod.

“Right… I'm sorry." He began. “I… forgot, like… I wasn't paying attention. I'm not even…" He just scratched his hair, yet before he did, he gave a little pause. As though he… petted something or someone or thought there was anything utterly pointless atop his scalp. “I'm…" Griffin blinked and took a breath.

He just breathed as though clearly. As though it's all he really needed to do. “I'm not going to use it for you anymore." Luna felt her ear twitch and she blinked rapidly.

That would be nice… even though everyone is in it. Griffin simply looked ahead – at the wall in front of him to start.

“If you want to… at anytime Luna, all you need to do is poke my leg. Poke my belt or your Poké Ball. I don't have the right to just… force that on you." He expressed and smiled.

“No human ever does." His words made her head tilt as though entirely confused with him. A flicked curve of his gentle face, the sandy hair which teased his forehead and eyebrows. That confident little look. “So, I'll try my best, Luna. I don't want all of you in them… You shouldn't need to be." Griffin continued and chuckled “ I guess I… feel like I broke a promise. Luna…"

A promise? There's been so much going on over the past day that… I feel like I have. She watched Griffin put on his belt, adjust his rucksack and then notice his phone… he picked it up and those funny little chords. It made him laugh a little when he saw them on the ground. Then… instead, he knelt down with all of his things ready to go and held out his arms a little.

“Why don't… I carry you?" He'd express and nodded to himself. “I think… I'm strong enough to do that." Those words made her narrow her brow and tilt her ears and head…

What does that even MEAN? She began and found that Griffin was busy laughing.

“It's nothing… nothing sorry. I just… my brother used to do that – carry me around. So… I don't know what else to really do."

Sleep… in the room? Obviously!? You're all loopy from no sleep! Luna began and huffed a little smoke his way. All he did was scratch his scalp with a dumb little grin and checked his phone. Luna just watched him pocket the thing so quickly that she worried it fly out of his hand… and then he pulled out this Poké Ball near the end.

Thief? Her tails stilled and flicked as Griffin pulled out the Poké Ball. That red light blinked at him…

Then he checked Moonlights Poké Ball and the same thing happened. After that he dragged out Luna's and pressed the button and in response she just jolted and shut her eyes.

There was no beam to receive her…

What's wrong? Luna curiously wandered over as Griffin's phone chimed and beeped moments later. He just stared at it, and the look on his face changed… like he was suddenly terrified out of his mind. A moment of hesitation crossed by his body before he answered the phone and went to say 'hello.'

A voice came from the other line.

“Logan!?" Griffin began “What the fu-" it's like his brother just cut him right off. “What do you mean just…? Right now? Where am I going to go for…" Griffin blinked “Of course I'm at the room? Why wouldn't I be consi-" Logan cut him off again. “Yes… yes I'm… fine? I mean not really… but… not hurt?" Luna just tried to get closer to the voice as Griffin just swallowed. “What happened? Here? In Celadon? There's" Griffin looked to the sliding door that led to the patio “I was just out there… I didn't hear a thing?" Luna glanced to it too and as Griffin continued to talk, she noticed something.

A light or two… it made her wander closer to the glass. It was a far… far ways away – nearby the gym. Luna had never seen so many red and blue lights in her life, neither had she ever seen something flash and flicker so quickly.

---

---

“Alright… alright. I guess there must be a store… or something I can get food…. My Poké Balls though…" Griffin looked angry after a moment of silence – Luna turned to look at him. “The hell do you mean you LOCKED them? You can do THAT?" Griffin huffed after “In case they're stolen… wow… alright uhm… number one through EIGHTY…" Logan cut Griffin off again. “Fine, fine… are you okay?" Griffin just waited around for an answer. “What do you mean… you don't know? Logan…?" Griffin began “Are you out there? Nearby the…?" Luna got in a little closer to the phone, towards Griffin. “So, you're not… where are you? What do you mean an… 'office?' what 'office?'" Griffin tapped his fingers together for a moment. “Oh, you mean work? I think I-" Logan cut him off once again and it made him sigh. “I know where… you used to talk about it all the time, there's the one on the outskirts of the city right? I'll… find my way there, it's like maybe… two hours away though… Of course, I'll get myself a coffee! I've been up since like eight? I don't even know anymore. I'll see you there." Griffin ended the call and huffed to himself after. Luna simply raised a brow at him.

That's just utterly weird.

“That's weird…" Luna simply scoffed

Right? She thought to herself as Griffin stood up and opened the door to the hallway.

“Alright Luna, let's get going… I got a feeling we have a busy… busy night ahead of us." Griffin expressed, and Luna yawned as she wandered into the hallway. Her eyes felt heavy and her whole body just wanted to lay down on the carpet she stood on. The carpet was soft and fluffy… even though it was solid and would be uncomfortable after a while… Luna felt like she could just curl up and sleep. Griffin just gave her a little glance as he stood down at the end of the hallway… already. “I can carry you." Griffin mentioned with a smile. “You might be able to sleep that…" Griffin took a second to blink and then dropped his bag to the ground, softly. He took some time reorganizing a bunch of things out of the blue. The stove, the food… everything. Griffin just changed the entire order of his bag and bundled up as much as he could before undoing the straps that held his small tent and the sleeping bag underneath the backback. He took out the sleeping bag roll. Luna just wandered up as she watched him frantically work. “I have… an idea." Luna just gave a blank look in return.

Obviously you do; I've never seen you move so fast for anything… She seemed to remark in her own thoughts. “It might be a tight fit, with the sleeping bag… taking up a lot of the space folded like this…" Griffin explained and put his bag down.

Luna just curiously inspected the straps underneath his hiking-like rucksack and the poles that stuck out underneath. They were for his tent, as though he wrapped the sleeping bag around it. Now they just hung out in the open… he only needed to tighten the straps more then normal and as she took a peek inside of the canvas bag, she'd only see… something that resembled a little burrow. “It's not much but… the bag has these back supports, right? It keeps it level… so with the sleeping bag it should be like a little portable bed!" Luna flicked her ear and curiously sniffed his backpack.

This thing… needs a wash or something… but… it smells like a campfire. Tree's… it's nice. Luna thought to herself for a moment. And it beats walking… so if I don't sleep I can at least… sit or something. She began and climbed onto the bag with her legs shaking to keep herself supported… then she ducked her head into it.

There really wasn't any space at all… but the moment her paws found themselves on the nylon and poufy sleeping bag inside… it would flutter down and compact. It was… cold, surprisingly – usually his sleeping bag was warm on the inside… but this was the lime-green like outside. She just got her paws in after a moment and lowered her head down… That's when she heard this soft zip-like sound until there was just a hole above her.

To her it oddly felt like she was being swallowed whole by some monster… but Luna was just too tired to care about that. All she did was gently sigh and curled her muzzle up to her paws as she shut her eyes. The bag shifted and moved after a moment and this weird feeling of suspension came over her. It moved or swayed from time to time… and the small hole – just enough that she could poke her head through if she wanted – ended up flickering from time to time… especially when Griffin walked under a light. Luna gave a tired little yawn and curled up against the bag; her nostrils simply ignited with his scent, surrounded and entwined with this nostalgic scent of firewood. A gentle voice called out to her as though she dozed off for just a minute until this endless free-fall came around her.

Griffin stepped into an elevator and headed for the hotel lobby. The weightlessness stirred her awake and made her stare at the little light-filled hole above her head. That familiarity swept over her, like a young girl stuck to wander in a cavern. The kind where sounds played tricks with her mind and she only wondered if anyone out there knew or cared if she were gone. The kind which only wondered why she had a friend that she knew absolutely nothing about…

It was this hazy little thought which came across her tired and exhausted mind before a gentle reach of her head left her to poke it out of the rucksack to the sounds of voices. In her exhaustion… it was something which made her… happy.

Just hearing voices… human voices, Pokémon voices. It reminded her that she was in, all regard, normal. Luna simply stared around the room until she met a familiar thing; one that left her hair to ruffle and stand on stilts. There was a man with a newspaper and a long grey coat… like a windbreaker of sorts with this white dress shirt and a tie.

A Zoroark stood next to him and the moment it saw her, it simply tilted her head. Luna just looked at the newspaper like she did in Vermillion. There was some major headline… about Hoenn. She just couldn't read the title of it. Griffin just walked by that man without a single look his way, but Luna stared back at the Zoroark curiously. Eventually the man folded the Newspaper, once they walked outside, and stepped to the front desk. There was this chilly summer air that filled the streets and this loud blaring sound echoed through the streets. Griffin turned, and Luna felt the backpack swing with him she just stared down the road where the sounds came from.

“That's a lot of sirens…" Griffin muttered to himself and took out his phone. “What's going on?"

“Gas main." Someone commented from nearby and Griffin tossed them a look; Luna did too. It was nobody… suspicious, or if they were, they were certainly good at hiding it. “I heard a gas line exploded; they had to pull out all the trainers from the Trainers Village. The Pokémon Center is… packed. I've never seen it so busy!" Griffin gave a little perplexed look.

“A gas main? How did it…?" The stranger shrugged to Griffin's reply; the stranger looked like some everyday business man. Tired, overworked…

“I got no clue, they started talking about gas; then the first utility trucks went through earlier and suddenly BOOM. It just went off, I don't think anyone got hurt… but it doesn't make a whole lot of sense. The entire city is down there tonight! I heard that some property got damaged, there's a fire… but other then that they already closed down the road and cut off the line." They expressed, and Griffin just nodded in reply as the stranger got closer to his rucksack. Luna popped her head into the backpack. It left them to laugh as Griffin just chuckled back “A little shy? My Snubbull is the same way with strangers… in fact I need to get home and see her." They expressed “Be safe tonight young man!" They mentioned, and Griffin moved the bag while he thanked them.

He waved them off and Luna stuck her head back up and out of the bag as Griffin began to wander down the road. Occasionally he glanced at his phone and touched the screen. It looked like a little map came up on the little device.

Luna took a moment to glance back down the road then fight past Griffin's shoulders to look ahead and simply watched the busy crowd of people wander by. Some with Pokémon and some without. It was this overly crowded place with all sorts of strangers which made her feel small and scared. As though knowing and hearing all those voices made her happy but seeing so many faces… that made her shy and terrified. Griffin partially tilted his head back to her as they crossed underneath the light faded-gold hue of a street lamp.

“You can sleep… you should; Luna." Griffin began to say and let out a gentle sigh; the fog and plume from his breath in the chilly summer night air would linger towards the sky which left Luna to follow it upwards. Lanterns hovered above them, a golden velvet stitching like it always did as the entire world around was illuminated with little flames of bright gold and daylight. The windows above her glowed with that white color endlessly… all the way until they touched the sky. Lune just huffed herself, sneezed from the strong and overpowered scent of gas… fumes; exhaust… rain and frigid cement. Eventually she dug herself back into that little cavern that was Griffin's rucksack and nuzzled into that lime-moss like sleeping bag. At least there it had the slightest resemblance of… home. She'd simply yawn and snuggle up as her entire world felt heavy and weightless. Suspended a few modest feet from the ground yet she felt much, much higher.

Sleep. Just close your eyes and sleep. Her mind jutted every other way as she tried to. From that monster in Pewter, towards these little hazy memories that suddenly reappeared… towards Bandit and Shadow and what they said between each other. All of it made sense, all of it pointed to her.

It only connected to her.

that wasn't a comfortable thought for Luna to leave it on as she finally found that her eyes were much too heavy to keep open and eventually she'd… open them again to this strong scent of rain and mildew. Sporadic voices echoed around her through a void, snippets of conversations that made no sense. Whispers… sounds.

Names came to her ears as though she were supposed to know them. Only one touched her thoughts with such clarity that it… horrified her. One voice… that only expressed one simple thing.

“Can you believe that they're killing that cub today? Really… they saw it stealing stones from the elder's ridge. Good riddance if you ask me, we don't need some… shocked little thing trying to start another battle." Luna just had to try and picture it all, but nothing came to her mind. There wasn't a face, there wasn't a wall… just a voice which dawned against her thoughts and she had absolutely nothing to say. All she could do was remember this frosty cold thing against her nose as she woke up surrounded by wet fur and frozen; timeless sand. Something poked and prodded her side.

“Wake up…" A voice touched her ear “We're meeting him again today" Luna felt her mouth open, but her voice went deaf. “No… not him the other one! The Shell Collector." She'd just glance at this one other Vixen; one with a pure white tail and these beautiful stone-like eyes of smoky velvet skies. Luna couldn't find her name… but she spoke again in silence and that Vulpix replied “I know, he sleeps at home now… doesn't mean I see him, he just goes off every morning to some dumb cave. He's been doing that every day… since he FINALLY started eating. I mean, how can you NOT eat?" Luna replied something that made her scrunch up her nose and giggle frantically “I want to eat the other island food too! We only have that Leafeon come by every now and then with it!" She'd express with a smile and Luna… couldn't remember the expression on her face. The rain… She remembered that, how it pelted at the soft churning waves by the beachside. How she had her muzzle soaked from nearly sleeping in a puddle… The rain was always a pain to deal with on the island; that and the sudden tide on some nights. There was this rich layer of fog that hovered around the sparse treeline which left this wonderful dividing line of the beach side. With most of the tree's still broken and new, smaller shrubs growing in place where it all used to be a sparse little forest became more of a tangled web of gnarled roots and tough terrain. These two paws pushed and shoved against her side “Come on! We'll going to explore the reef caves! You always take forever to get out of the dugout." Luna remembered making some small remark back at her, but she didn't seem to care about that as much as she cared about pushing Luna out of the little sand dug-out.

It was freezing out that day, if anything that was enough to make her sluggishly toss to her side and push herself onto her feet. The sand shifted gently underneath her as though she stood on fine powder… not even the rain was able to clump it all together in the cold weather. She'd feel a muzzle clamp on her tail and Luna spun her head around… the other Vulpix wouldn't let go of it, it left them to nearly run around in place with her barking and yipping out at her in the middle of the foggy rain…

Needless to say, it woke Luna right up “Let's go you sleepy tail!" The voice spoke to her and as she heard it touch against her ears Luna felt a bright line of light that stirred her wake.

Griffin's voice cut in shortly after.

“These two please." His voice mentioned “And uhh…. I guess these too." There was this little sound, like a voice that talked back to him.

“Canned Coffee? Aren't you a little young to be wandering around THIS late?" It said and Griffin only shrugged a little; Luna could feel that; the whole bag just swayed when he did.

“I'm just passing through the city." He'd reply back and shuffle around once more… it was out worldly how the entire pouch on his back moved as though there had to be some trust between them; like she had to trust that he'd remember she was in there.

What… was that about? Can't I just have a normal dream? A little huff drew from her muzzle as she'd bury her nose back into the nylon below her. One… normal dream… is that too much to ask? I… don't even remember her name? Is… she even important? Am… I even important? She'd seem to huff at her thoughts and flicked her many tails against the inside of the bag No wonder why Bandit hates all this sappy crap… it takes too much time to even think about. Why would I even NEED to know that? I guess I have friends here; who cares about some… stupid dream or stupid place. It can't be important. Luna corrected herself So just… let it go already. If it won't tell me outright, then why would I need to care…? She just shut her eyes again. A… normal dream… please? The thought just begged as she felt her eyes grow heavy again… If anything, she was stuck in a different dream.

Something as simple as a tree line where two friends could meet… where she didn't need to care about a missing link or emotion between them. All she could dream about was a normal adventure with a normal trainer and she only wondered throughout it all… if there was a trainer out there like that. A simple adventure waiting in wake, as though she took a route… less taken.

Moonlight:

_“Thief took more hits then I thought…. Moonlight. There's evidence of micro-fracturing along his floating ribs. He's lucky given the circumstances. Whatever that Arcanine did, and I know it's from one; I can see it in the pattern on his fur from the burns… If Thief takes a blow like that again, he'll lose more then just a little blood… I'm talking bone shrapnel. His entire intestinal line would be shredded apart from it."

“I can deal with it Ayumu."

“I don't know about this Moonlight, this is different…. One wrong move that hits him and he's bleeding out. I'd keep him, but it's safer over there then it is over here."

“I doubt that… I guess I need to be the mother hen; the moment I get a chance I'll tell everyone I can. As usual… I'm…. wasting time with him… and it pisses me off to say that… Ayumu."_

Moonlight was stuck with his eyes fixed on the groove of a tightly knit tree… a familiar tree as though he were back where he started. That forked tail flicked and struck at the air wildly as though in a fit of anger.

I found out… nothing that I wanted or needed. Moonlight felt his eyes study the grain of that single tree in the meadow. First… Luna at the magnet train… and I protected Thief… couldn't I have just…. You stupid little Growlithe. Moonlight took a little look to his right side.

Thief had been sleeping the entire time and all the Espeon could do was let out an agitated sigh. Why of all people… did it have to be Griffin. If this was Logan in his prime, we could have dealt with all of this… some damned fossil by now. And now I'm… What the hell am I doing? There was this little voice that whispered next to him

“Which one are you… Moonlight?" He turned his head around after he realized it wasn't some abrupt memory.

“Where the hell are you… Leafeon?" There was a little, subtle and soft laugh that touched his ears.

“You know… this Psychic…. stuff is tiring… I'm lucky to know Suicune… Xerneas. It is impossible otherwise for me" His voice came into play “You are easy to read, you've just been blinding people with your emotions. Like you've buried yourself in them… but I already know that you wouldn't be the one to just let Thief go… or any of them. You hold on obsessively."

“Quiet…" Moonlight replied back and glared at that little Growlithe.

“He didn't die...? I remember a friend telling me that he wouldn't eat anything special they brought over." Moonlight just lowly growled and huffed at the air

“Give me answers… Leafeon, not your pointless riddles and…"

“What? Charm?" There was that subtle laughter once more and that left the Espeon to sharpen his eyes and stare around that one biome. “I'll tell you…"

“Then tell me now. Not later, not in person… right now." Leafeon sighed and made this little sound that stuck in the back of Moonlights mind.

“It's funny, you might know you're the toxic one… or Luna… Bandit or Shadow; any of them may thing that… but Thief is the toxic one and he doesn't even know it. He's the one that'll hold you all back…. Because he represents everything you want to protect. If you didn't think of that already, then you need to know he's something you all have to let go… in one way or another." Moonlight huffed back at the voice.

“What? You think he… symbolizes something for all of us? That's so… dumb."

“Moonlight…" The Espeon shook his head aimlessly.

“Thief is a living… breathing Pokémon. He's not some token; if anything, he simply needs to change!"

“Then let him defend himself… Moonlight. Let him change but knowing what I know…. Someone else is going to die because he's there. I don't want anyone to… you all weren't a part of this, not what I need to do. So, if you want to let go so badly… of it all. Then why don't you tell me which one you are?" Moonlight rolled his shoulders harshly enough that he'd feel them crack from the stretch.

“I was the one that was always there." Moonlight replied back and the Leafeon simply sighed after a while.

“That's not the answer… There's more to it than that; Espeon. You want Thief to change…? It'll be subtler then you think but you'll see it over time… but it takes YOUR choices. That sits on you more then you can believe." Moonlight solely rolled his eyes and stared at the peacefully sleeping ball of fur. “That's what we are… We connect, live and thrive together… Espeon. It's one of the rare things we share with humans. You're the only one that connects to Thief in a way he needs to connect." The voice said, and Moonlight simply growled… clenched his claws to the ground and dug into the grass.

Until he gave out a little huff. Moonlight couldn't believe he was doing this. It felt absurd… abrupt. Yet what Leafeon said stuck in his foremost thoughts.

“Every bit of me wants to blame you, in fact you're partly to blame… Leafeon. But fine… I'll take your words to mind. If what you say is true in any way; then I guess along the way I messed up and I need to accept that." Moonlight spoke with a low growl and a vicious bare of his teeth “If you honestly… even… have a free will of your own – “

“This isn't part of what I need to do… Moonlight. That is my free will, if there is even a single grace in this life then I only believe that doing all of this will help that. If you want Thief to live, then he needs to change himself. Defend himself. So just let it happen… you can't control that… it's something you need to accept." Moonlight snarled to himself

“I don't care about what I need or have to accept… cut the shit now… What is that thing?"

“The Cheshira? A Pokémon."

“You know more!"

“No… You do, Espeon. Luna might even know more."

“Luna?" Moonlight pulled back his head “How does she know more?"

“If she were smart enough to go home, then you'd know the answers you'd need… but she won't go because of HIM. See it? You might think that he'll protect her" Moonlight laughed in reply

“Hardly… Thief can't protect himself; he was stupid enough to touch a Sandygasts shovel… If anything, I can." Moonlight began “Luna has her own strengths, so don't go around thinking you can read everyone based on our own assumptions."

“I read you, Espeon. And frankly… I know you can protect her. But Thief?" There was a little stilled air between them “He's on his own. It will waste time and chances… understand, Espeon?" Moonlight only stared down at the grass and led over to Thief until he'd take a moment to look up at the aimless clouds. It dawned on him after a moment; the way Leafeon always spoke… yet now it felt like something challenged him. Something cut out the majestic way he normally talked…

“I get it. You're not reading me… Leafeon. It's yourself." Moonlight began to say “Heh… A little narcissistic aren't you? A lack of empathy to others; plenty of sympathy. I just wonder, Leafeon… if your 'free will' as you say, is more of your envy towards us." Moonlight began to say, “I bet you wonder how I can change you, rather then you change me." He'd express and grinned “Here I thought you were some pretty, charming… handsome Leafeon, and there you go showing just a hint of that ugliness. There's your weakness… Leafeon."

“Hmm? and what of yours… Moonlight?" Moonlight solely nodded back to the clouds.

“That I control, rather then accept. It's not that you called it out… I've always known, and I've always been sure of that; Leafeon." His voice didn't come back, and Moonlight sighed sharply after the silence. There he thought, for just a moment that Leafeon couldn't bend or break.

Aren't we both a couple of mirror gazers…? I just see a different image, Leafeon. I'm jealous of you for your strength… and your envious of me because of what I have. Could we really just swap places that easily? I'm tired of going back and fourth… with myself… with everything. Yet I can't just let that all go. Can I? Moonlight replied his thoughts with just an empty and soulless sigh, one that left his eyes to trail back to Thief; to watch over that smaller, pudgy Growlithe with a little small swallow.

I'm… not sorry. No, I'm not. I thought that before but if you're going to get stronger you must move past it yourself. A few cruel words won't kill you… But being unable to fight off anything else, that will. I'm done playing kind… I'm simply jealous and that's ugly… it always will be, me. Frankly I don't think I'd have it any other way… so get out of my own head… _ Moonlight sharply took in air. **_Let me be… Autumn, whether it's with your own voice or with a sign of your will… because… you, I can't let go alone.**

This is harder then I think it would be… I can't just will that; I don't think anyone can. Moonlight took another long stare at Thief; his unkempt and ruined fur; this burned in symbol of flame crossed across his chest, to his sides as he'd just let out a rugged and pained breath. It looked as though even breathing was enough to hurt him. So… if I'm that important to you…. Growlithe, then how are you going to change me? How are you going to keep a promise… that simple, Thief? I think I get why Luna is tired of playing house. She'd rather just LIVE it… not play pretend. She wants to fight… “Don't you want to fight too… Thief? Tell me you do, tell me you can keep that promise." Moonlight began to say and held his muzzle over the Growlithe “Because I know, that I'll never be strong enough to do that alone. So, I'll tell you that you're weak, that your small… worthless and utterly pointless to be here; and I'm not sorry about that… so just tell me that you'll fight for once. Prove me wrong…"

“Just promise me that you'll be the one to prove me wrong. Promise me that you'll be able to correct me… because frankly; I've always been brother. I've always been the smarter brother; and I'm tired of that."

Luna:

Her dream only lasted until these beautiful cone trees came into view. This subtle change as though foggy mist swept into her mind with a soft hush of breath and a tender push of wind. She felt as though she endlessly ran through the haze and slim white fog. “You're slow! How can you be an explorer when you're THAT slow! Explorers are…. They're like speedy right? You need to be light on your feet!" That voice called out as the sand banked across the tree-line as though it became some steep ridge. Luna remembered how they needed to climb over that and cross through this small well-worn path… one so worn down from paw pads that one could almost make out every single individual step that overlapped one another. It was nothing more then a path which eventually forked outward, one further towards the inside of the wood and the other solely rested with roots and overlayered bushes. It always felt like a hidden little secret; just one of many that island of all colors contained.

At least… Luna thought it had every single color in the world… and even then, the banks beyond the water looked more inviting then she ever thought possible. Just a sea of green after a flood of rich sapphire awaited her.

Awaited their makeshift little exploration team. Every single day they'd meet at this one beachhead; the only one with small stones and seashells; even the rare and strange Pokémon from time to time but the elders always, without a single exception, scared them back into the water. She never understood why they did that at all, the only time she saw one it simply stuck out it's tongue at her as though to make some silly, funny face.

Thief even showed her his impression of one a long… long time ago. That image just fluttered in her mind as though it were a little picture in a book of memories. Her laughter came through; yet there in the fog and rain all she did was stare up at the clouds like she had no control over her body. Lost in curious wonder of the misty veil of the world around her with every intention to walk through and find a place that felt truly magical. A place that felt like a dream like no other. All she did was wait with this other excited little Vulpix until it all became this too long wait of boredom. “Let's just go! We'll find him or something…" She'd bring up and Luna tried to reply. Her voice was just swept away with a gentle wave of silence. “It's fine; he's probably by the cliffs… there!" A paw outreached touched over to this rickety side of the beach beyond them “He's been there almost every morning…" Her voice began as though to shrug off the reason “He's probably exploring without us again! I bet he's collected a bunch of pretty little shells to pile up there. Look at the beach! It's nearly picked clean again!" Luna couldn't deny that fact. Yet that other Vulpix pushed to their feet, having laid down for so long in wait for a particular Growlithe and simply began to wander towards the tide. Luna followed her and watched the world wander by them as though they were little ghosts in the fog, she could barely make out the peaks of some rocks in the distance to her left where that precarious cliffside lay. They were these odd little rocks that resembled a rounded and smoothed horn which tipped like an arrow peak. “Don't look at those! It's bad luck!" Luna remembered that she replied back right away “W… well… if you do bad things you get thrown off the cliffside. See the overhang above the caverns? It's said that the caves used to be a little makeshift den for Lugia and the meadow above it was for Ho-Ho. You know the story, right?" Luna shook her head sort of. “Everyone knows the story silly! That's what the dance is for! A Lugia saved a Growlithe egg that fell in the water, it was said to be his OWN egg! And Ho-Ho saved a Vulpix egg that fell off the cliffside. They had some huge fight between land and air… our eggs stopped the fight. They never fought again according to the legend… To keep the Vulpix egg warm, Ho-ho lent it fire and to keep the Growlithe egg warm, Lugia used its body. It's why the Growlithes protect us! They protect us just like how Lugia protected their egg!"

Luna remembered she asked something… her voice cut into play.

“That's weird… if a NineTales and a NineTales have a cub… they aren't born from eggs. But if an Arcanine and a NineTales-" She cut her off with a 'shush' of a sound

“Nonononoono, that's NEVER allowed. It'll start a whole fight between Lugia and Ho-Ho again. The NineTales had cubs with Ho-Ho and the Arcanine had cubs with Lugia." Luna tilted her head with a near sense of dramatic intent

“That doesn't make sense at all." The Vulpix stuck her tongue out at Luna

“Of course it does! It's the Elders tale, you can't just say THAT. It's why we're here… that and the scary mirror. We're not allowed to talk about the scary mirror…" Luna just huffed at her and she'd recoil her head back “Oh don't get all like that all because I'm the head maidens daughter! Ho-Ho is like my… greatest great Grand-daddy! I have the strongest fire out of everyone! It makes me special!" The Vulpix just stuck out her tongue with this near 'mlem' like sound, as though to tease Luna. “I get to do all the dances too! You get to dance! I mean not in the middle… the fire is special! I even get to light it this year!" With the sound of her excitement all that single-tailed Vulpix did was show off her ember. No other cub knew how to do that yet, Luna knew because she recoiled in such a way that made her thoughts chase to the idea that it was impossible to spark up like that. No Vulpix could just use fire. “I'm lucky daddy was there to…" They both stopped in the middle of the conversation. As she frantically looked around. “I don't want to say it with the Little Thief around… Luna… He's scared of my daddy." She'd say and whisper, gently. “If you can keep a secret, I'll tell you why… You know daddy? He's your daddy too! The head guardian is like… daddy to everyone on the island!" Luna just uncomfortably shifted her paws. The tone had changed enough that she could notice it and Luna hated serious conversation. Being much to shy to deal with them… she didn't want to listen to any of it. Yet that other Vulpix got close to her ear and gently whispered…

“It's because our daddy killed his father… and… his mommy. The spikes are bad luck because his mommy was going to be there but Daddy… didn't let them do that and hurt her himself…"

Luna shut her eyes by pure instinct, a feel of wincing overcame her. “So… let's both be extra kind to him. Okay…? No one else on the island knows… about his mommy but the elders. The others joke about it but they don't actually know… I overheard the old ones talking about it when they were preparing the annual dance. They think it'll bring bad luck since it happened that way…" Luna just pushed her paws against her muzzle

“I don't like all the grim talk! You know that so stop it!" She recoiled and gave off a huff “I don't like secrets either… Let's just go adventuring already." Luna tried to change the subject and that other Vulpix simply nodded… Yet what they didn't know or couldn't… Luna had to hear it in the back of her mind as though it were a near dead-silent rustle that felt out of place. It was only a pair of eyes from a much larger beast that looked onward, one that could travel the island in a manner of swift quiet moments.

One solely curious as to where two little Vulpix's could be going that early in the morning.

The Island used to be one huge one that related to a minor long bridge as though it were sculpted out of rock, yet it had traces of large cut in groves as though every bit of thunder and lightning had shattered through it… and scorch marks on top of it. The story went, the one for control over the island, was that the head guardian killed another one, right there. Since then it left the island in two parts… one where the fire-kind lay, and the other was this tangle with all sorts of different types. A 'commoners' place so to speak.

They weren't allowed to go there because of the scary mirror, or so the Elders called it. Yet all the unexplored caverns were there, that's all Luna knew, and she solely wondered out of her youthful curiosity how far that web went. With her friend by her side, she explained that in the past the island was divided between the maidens and the guardians… one side was only NineTales and the other were Arcanines; how they got there and made it home was lost to time. They just existed without a story of creation, without a knowing of where their home could have been long before but that left them all in content.

Luna thought it was convenient that none of the island dwellers asked questions about it, and whenever they did it was always about some grand story that Ho-Ho and Lugia both saved two different eggs in the middle of violent combat.

It was foolish, like a little pauper's dream. She didn't want a dream like that she wanted an adventure; to explore how another talked endlessly about it… and talked curiously about an Eevee's travels… one which became known to his home and lost towards something even greater then she understood. That was the dream, to leave and find something so fascinating and new that it overpowered her sense of reality.

This dull little island that always had food and the prospect of 'family' around her. “Hey! I got a CRAZY idea! Let's go to the scary mirror!" Luna yelped in reply and that left her to giggle like mad “Yes! I bet Thief will follow us too! He can follow anything with that nose of his… we could be like…. A mountain deep in snow and he'd STILL sniff us out." She brought up “So let's go to the scary mirror! That'll be part of a HUGE adventure! Anyways… you're… Father might be there." Luna stalled a little “No, not the Arcanine; that's Daddy…. I'm talking about Father! I know mine is! He's INSIDE the Scary Mirror because of all the monsters! That's why they call it that…" She'd mention with this little sass in her tone “Sometimes you get to talk to them too! Just we can't get caught…" Luna giggled a little

“Have you been caught before?" And the Vulpix nodded yes, aggressively. Her head went so fast that Luna thought she'd pop it off her shoulders

“I have… I don't get in TOO much trouble, but they always tell me that if I wasn't the head maiden, I'd be in SO much trouble… like banishment trouble." Luna tilted her head

“Banishment?"

“They throw you off the cliff… You either hit the rocks or you don't, if you don't the tide takes you far… far away and no one is ever seen again." She brought up and Luna sank her head low as though to think to herself 'great… more bad talk…' before following up close. “Don't be so spooked! No one goes near it that much, and the others know not to go near the Vulpix's. Except for the snowy ones… they don't like us that much anymore. But… your Papa is a snowy one, right?" Luna felt herself nod “Yours does those funny pictures with the snow right!? It's funny, I saw him teaching that special guest the other year… what was that thing? It's all mossy and grassy and he's BIG too! Like he's almost as big as your mom!" Luna felt her mouth open

“It's a Leafeon…" And the Vulpix nodded and hopped

“That's what it was! What was the other one though? They looked fat!" Luna simply shrugged in reply, she had no clue…

“I just hope they're back again this year. If Suicune can't again… It's weird that he has a messenger… and all that Leafeon does is plant flowers… He talks endlessly about them unless he talks about the adventures on the island! DO you think he talks about his own adventures?" Luna just shook her head no.

“I think… he talks about a different Eevee. It's weird actually… he said that they live in a big town – or all the Pokémon do except for him. He lives in the woods… wanders all around the town but he never goes inside. Leafeon even mentioned that sometimes wild Pokémon attack too. He always seems upset when he talks about it…" She continued to say and the other Vulpix just shrugged as they crossed further into the foggy woods.

“Look look! You see that funny thing in the sky!? It's by the tree!" Luna had to have a glance but… when she finally saw this odd glossy sheen – like a rupture in the sky her legs froze in place. It felt as though all of light just distorted into a void; a terrible… cold void. It was then that she had to realize, through their conversation that the further in they went through the woods…

The sparser and deader the trees became, as though they were picked clean of everything living. As though something with ravenous hunger just ate whatever it could find.

“I don't like this… L – let's go back…" The other Vulpix just shook her head no

“We're almost there! That weird mirror thing means we're like right on top of it! The woods are funny here… sometimes you could walk around in circles for HOURS and end up where you started… or it just brings you right to where you want to go." Luna backpedaled a little, but the other Vulpix swatted her nose with her own tail. “We're adventurers! So, let's go Luna! I can illuminate ANYTHING!" She commented and continued on as Luna froze… She'd just see the tail slowly fading away into the mist… and that's when Luna ran to catch up to her with every fright in her mind that she'd never see her again.

Luna caught up to her just fine as they wandered into a dead grove. These trees surrounded around them and curled into the center that they walked through. The amount of glossy ruptures in the sky and world hung over them like colorful little gemstones… it was all distorted; troublesome and different. “I heard there's this huge and scary monster that lives in here, but that's not the monsters that we push away…" She began to say as Luna glanced at this scary and utterly abnormal churn of purple-black as though it were a portal of some sorts. She could see her own reflection… but… it was jutting out of the right side; as though the entire world there was just naturally malformed. “There's almost no food there either! And time is funny. I've heard some NineTales go in and they age so quickly that they die moments through stepping inside… and then there's some that live for thousands of years when it's only been seconds here and they hardly age a day. There's a scary demon king… it has to be a demon!" She brought up as they both looked at the portal which hovered in front of them. It was as though it just clung to the surface of a rock. “The dance is said to make magic powerful enough to slowly close the portal, so on the day all the males step out and come back. We get one day, and we count how many died. When the dance is over all those funny crystals go away and it's just the portal again… it would be like looking at water then." Luna just stared at the odd mirror of a crystal, just glanced at it and from the roof of it she saw… something…?

“Do the dads come back early?" She'd ask and the Vulpix shook her head no.

“What? never? If they did all the monsters would come out and eat everything." Something lunged out at them in the moments that followed, as though they both couldn't expect it. There was a sound, like a voice that yelled out “whoa!" As it fell from the top of the portal.

It was like seeing a broken mirror; having their tail end up top but their face pop out the bottom. Luna and the other Vulpix just reeled back as some strange creature darted between them.

“T – that's a monster! Catch it! Luna!" Luna back pedaled right off the bat

“N – No way am I touching THAT! Use your fire!" She half expected the strange quilled thing with large arrow-tipped ears and two flickering tails to attack… the whole thing looked scaled and furred… its mane…? was quilled in some strange way as though to proudly wear some fluffy but comfortable necklace. The face was the strangest thing she'd seen. Hard, Like bone? It's what it appeared to be and…

It just ran past them. It only sprinted by on four legs and as far out of the woods as it's small legs could physically carry it. The whole body was a swirl of purple and black. Luna glanced back at the mirror once more as this crackle sparked from it.

Frost? It licked her nose gently and she'd come face to face with some… Ninetails. A snowy white Ninetails.

there wasn't just one snowy one. There was a fire one… a Thunder one…

She'd never seen so distinct types before. She never knew that so diverse types could even ever exist.

“We're… gonna be in trouble…" The other Vulpix began to say.

“How many of them are there?" Luna started to mention as she'd hear this frantic little…

It sounded like a weird chitter; like two fangs repetitiously smacking against one another to make noise until… they heard nothing.

Save for a loud 'SPLASH' like it just jumped aimlessly into the sea.

“A lot… It looked like an unevolved one! The others get really really big! But… we need to go tell the elders right away!"

“It's face looked like bone…" Luna began to say and tried to keep her gaze away from the mirror now; a little shiver ran through her back as she knew there were dozens of eyes on them.

“Some of them wear it to look like dead ones so they can hide! The elders talked about it! It's like… like berry paste! Remember all the color pastes from last year!" The other Vulpix began to say frantically _“It's like that… but they just hide in the bones…"

“I was… talking about the…"_ Luna's tail dropped; her one single white tail thumped against the ground heavily. She felt so small as she'd glance at the strange… utterly horrifying mirror before her.

“Well… there's a lot of Ninetales in there; everyone's daddy goes. Sometimes the ones that stay for a very, very long time come back and get to stay. They just go back to the… forest here. I guess you could say it's like they're lost. That's what… I do. Being the head maiden, I get to bring them all home even if it's just a day. I'm like… like…"

Luna felt her ear twitch as she opened her mouth.

“A lighthouse." She heard her own voice say and the other Vulpix tilted her head

“Oh right! You're mommy is funny! She has all of those funny words! … What's a Lighthouse?" Luna just hummed and haw'd…

“I think she told me it's like a big bright fire… Like a light, you can see them across the sea sometimes, especially at night. It's woken me up a few times… It's like a BIG blinding light; like the sun! It's comes twice and then I never see it again." That other curious Vulpix only glanced and studied Luna with large wondrous eyes, they shone like moonlit gemstones; a beautiful black pond which endlessly searched her face for answers. That was until a voice snapped up from the mirror.

“Luminescence… What are you doing here!?" A voice snapped at her “You of all young should know that it's dangerous here!" It made them both wince, the way how that mirror flashed and flickered at them as though to resonate the sound of a purely deep and powerful tone. It left Luna to flatten her ears… her one tail tried to bury itself into the soil.

“Adventuring!" Luminescence replied, “I wanted to see the mirror again!" She was so… bluntly common with her tone. That other Vulpix gave a curious… dark snarl and steeply prowled towards their reflections. Luna had never seen any type like it.

A dark type? A ghost type? Both? It horrified her… this image of a Ninetales that seemed so bluntly ancient that its bones hung out no different than a Houndoom's horns. Pure white bone… the near skull-like face with sharp blue flames for eyes.

It had fur… but its tails looked more spectral then anything Luna had ever laid her eyes upon... in all reality…

It looked startling… how similar it appeared to the strange creature that jumped out hardly minutes before. Luna felt that presence as though it swallowed her whole; a living… breathing skeleton – nearly.

“Now hold on friend… you know how this conversation is going to go." There was the softest hint of blue-white fur that cut into frame… first upside down at the mirror before it churned and slowly treaded over to the side. “Your daughter isn't one to listen that simply, but mine might." Luna just had to still her body and swallow.

He wasn't large… huge or had this presence that demanded all around him to notice. All he had was this gentle tinge of gold like speckles amongst his fur; eyes which curiously looked like her own. Overall, that Ninetales looked so much aberrant to any she'd seen before. That voice wasn't anything to feel scared from either, yet it felt as though to hold some form of power over the rest; it left them in a quick… ushered silence on his approach. “Now then… Luna. Why are you both here?" He'd ask curiously, yet more in this enlightened way rather then a demanding one. “It can be dangerous. Very dangerous." He'd express and hung close to the mirror.

It felt… so… double paned that if she were any closer, she might just be able to touch him. The closer he got to it, the closer they were nearly in front of one another; to look into each other's own being. “So, what may you both be doing here? Of all places?"

Luna felt herself more at a loss of words then anything. To see him only once a year and yet look into the eyes of someone that already knew everything about her just from the look in her eyes. That was a feeling like no other. One of warmth and this hint of grace. One that felt like an unbroken, endless promise that could never fade away. Luna felt herself move her mouth… like she was there.

“I…" She only opened her mouth for a moment and she felt her face grow red from the embarrassment… with all those eyes on her and hardly a word to say between them… She didn't know what to do. Her voice solely cast to the wind, to the endless rustle of trees and branches; forced to stand and stare at a mirror between them as though they were beyond a simple world away. As though they were beyond a place that she could never tread… a fine thin silk-like line which only sent soft chills through her entire small body when she thought about it. Where it came from and where it ended, she couldn't tell but all she could do was submit to that warmth which swelled against her chest; her face red… and not from her fur. From the embarrassment of it all; the nostalgic voice in her ears and the soft look in his eyes.

In her fathers' eyes, as though they understood the world and all the little joys endlessly. As though they didn't need to stop and wander in wonder. The world before him was all he needed to see.

“I… wanted to see you." Luna began to say as tears stung her eyes. “That's all I wanted… I just kept… following to see you. Why…" All he did was nod in reply

“Because I must, to you and I… Luna. I do not fear these… things. I'm the only one that understands them."

“Why…?" A gentle soft lush came from his muzzle as though to blow tender flicks of snow through the mirror towards her.

“I understand that they're more afraid of us and each other then we are of them. The world out there terrifies them. Some it eats whole corrupts them without warning. Others it begins a life of hardship and fate. They can't understand the world beyond here, not anymore. I only wish to believe."

“… Why…?" She'd ask out with a fog that clouded her vision; one that slowly tightened around her throat.

“Because I believe that one day, one of these living things will renew a fire long lost to them. A warmth that they had now abstained from. I believe in a phoenix… Luna. One no different than Lumine, beside you. I believe in their rebirth into our world."

Something shocked and jolted her awake as Luna flicked her head around the inside of Griffin's bag. It was such a sudden and rude awakening that pulled her out from her dazed dream. All she did was run it through her head.

That… wasn't… real? Right? That thing looked… it was… Esi? There was this tap of a sound, like a loud knock on a glass door.

“Hey." A voice came out from around Luna and she felt the whole bag jostle and she felt airborne for only a second

“Jesus… Do you know a little bit of…? I don't know NOT scaring the shit out of someone?" There was this silence and an awkward laugh that came from that voice.

“Trevor…?" Griffin began to say, and he'd cough and nod. “Oh my god… you look… have you had any sleep?" Luna flicked her ear. Trevor? She tried to pop her head out of the bag and as Luna felt her world go bright from the view of a buzzing street lamp she was met with this wonderful and familiar face.

“N – not really…" Trevor shrugged and then noticed Luna pop right out of the bag. “Hey! I remember you!" He'd say and just went to pet her, as though it were so natural and meant to be. Luna froze as his huge hand went over her head and gently grazed the tufts of fur above her scalp “You're looking… much, much better! You're carrying her around like you used to do with Bandit…?" Trevor laughed once and smiled. “I never thought I'd see you do that again… Griff."

“What… are you doing here? I mean both of you!?" Griffin brought up “I know Logan but… why…?" Griffin shook his head a little

“It's a long… confusing story and Logan is being… Log again, suddenly. He's so wrapped up with this insane… thing, I swear to GOD he has addiction to adrenaline. I want to get the fuck out of here." Trevor began to say, and Griffin swallowed dryly before he coughed.

“You smell like a cigarette…" Griffin began to say, and Trevor guiltily looked to the left.

“Yeah… I'm very tense and freaked out. I have been for a while since those army guys showed up."

“Army…!?" Griffin felt himself say as Luna just tilted her head in-between them both. Trevor nodded, and Griffin just coughed. “What… happened?"

“A lot of scary… scary shit. I don't want to talk about it, but it was enough that Logan had to come down here; he got worried about you and then he got so wrapped up with this… this thing!" Luna felt the bag shift a little and she held her paws outside of it firmly. “Logan went on this whole talking binge with me, I barely remember half of it… it all came down to when he left home. Some guy followed him around for the entire time he was all over Hoenn – even when he went down to Sinnoh for that event. Remember that? I spent the like… month there with you."

“Yeah… One of many." Griffin mentioned and shook his head frantically “I – I don't care about that, just tell me what's going on! There was some huge gas… thing that happened apparently?" Trevor shrugged a little.

“Let's… just go inside; it's around back, they broke in." Trevor grabbed Griffin's hand, but Griffin didn't budge. “Look… Griff I know… alright. I'm just suddenly terrified about Logan. Maybe you can talk sense into him; tell him that nothings wrong and we can just cut our losses." Griffin moved, and Luna felt that in the bag.

In moments they found themselves in the near dark as they crossed into a room.

“Seriously, the information you have on evolution will help a lot Lysandre. That's why I'm calling you privately. Of course, I know it's early, I just would love to have it forwarded to my email as soon as you can. Yes, I've read your public information I need further research with… Yes… I understand. If you ever change your mind, then I'd be grateful to look over it." A moment of silence broke Logan's voice. “Hello… Yes, I'd like to speak to Professor Elm, please. My name is Logan Fletching, I'm a young professor working on a project related to rare Pokémon Evolutions and hereditary diseases in Pokémon. Yes… well I could call Professor Oak… … … Yes, Elm it's nice to hear from you again! I'm curious to see if you could forward some of your research data on Pokémon Evolution to my email… I got it here, anything you can send me will be appreciated." Logan spoke out an email which made Griffin tilt his head as Luna just looked up at him. That email was weird; it said so right on Griffin's face… like a burner email account for spam and such.

“He's been up since Hoenn… I'm… He's been like this for hours; almost two solid days."

“A little fright can do that." Griffin jolted out of his feet – Luna swore he could see his ghost for a moment

“W – What the…!? What is with…?" Luna took a glance at the man.

It was a taller man, a little… thin but built – like prison sculpted in a sense with black hair and black eyes. He wore a nice suit; a simple suit overall as though he were some everyday business man. The kind that would go on a jog every morning and night to keep fit but… he was slightly more built then that. He just… stared at Griffin with a stoic face.

“I didn't mean to startle you, I thought you saw me when you walked in." Griffin had a glance around the room, there wasn't anyone else.

“I… uh… no? Who are you?" The man simply nodded.

“Let's say border patrol."

“Border pat-" Griffin felt his shoulders tense up and he'd blink twice… three times. Even more than that. Griffin made his mouth move but didn't have any words to say. Logan went off with another phone call, Professor Rowan… Kukui… almost every single region professor was being called by him and that left Griffin to scratch his head…

And then something chittered at him. The sound made him… stare empty eyed around the room.

The room around him was only this smaller office, a simple research office but it had all the basic necessities. A simple scanner sat in a tiny laboratory in front of him that was blocked off by glass as though anyone could look inside and see how the progression of their research was going. Griffin knew this place because it was one of the first places Logan started when he began to research and study into becoming a professor. It was one of the smaller schools for research and whenever Griffin called Logan, he'd always say he was 'at work.' This was Logan's life for a short while, he flew through his studies and work even here.

Griffin had to walk closer to the dark glass pane as something… just sat on the scanner and this light green-yellow hum glowed over it. Cables gently plugged against it's body and as Griffin tilted to have a better look… so did Luna.

Griffin noticed the laptop on the counter that was plugged into the scanner as though all the data went directly to that… another man sat there reading and typing away… the only thing that confused him was the two USB drives that were also plugged in but directly to the scanner. “What's going on?" Trevor swallowed and that one man, he was this Asian man in descent but spoke clean, pure English; Griffin even picked up on a hint of an American-esque accent in his tone.

“Your brother made a very curious discovery young man. It could get him in some serious trouble and in his worry… he hired some protection to overlook his research. A lot of people would do anything to capture rare… or… mythical Pokémon. What's in there is a Pokémon that's never been seen before.

“A… new Pokémon?" The man nodded yes.

“He wanted to keep it entirely off the books so, he got a team… His professor recommended us. That Pokémon is strange for sure… LOVES berries. Logan just fed it; that thing eats everything; I mean stem and all. It just… won't eat meat. Like canned meats. It'll eat beans and… things like noodles. Anything but meat, no eggs… hardly goes near dairy. Weird right?"

“A Vegan Pokémon…" Griffin laughed a little “That is different, I mean even some herbivore types will have Pokéfood that has traces of meat… but it won't go near meat at all?"

“It refuses to. It's very… abnormal. If it smells the slightest hint of… well I guess technically… dead things, it seems to shy away." He'd explain and laughed “He even got so worked up that someone might have known his discovery and go after you! So, we came here. It looks like you're entirely fine and that's a good thing." Griffin swallowed a little

“W – Yes… I'm totally fine; I've gotten all the gym badges I've been to so far. A new Pokémon? That's… amazing! What is it?"

“Logan is calling it an Esi" The man expressed, and Luna felt her ear twitch and drop when she heard the name, the same as the chitter in the Poké Ball. “It makes that noise repeatedly… chitters its teeth together like it has echolocation. Odd for something that's not a cave dweller but Logan expresses from first glance that it's a dragon type or… a subclass of one."

“How…" Griffin stalled “How is… Logan affording all this?" The man sat back in his chair and shrugged. “I mean… considering the medical payments to mom… payments to the house and the fundraiser he basically built up… He's got nothing left." The man only nodded and huffed. There was an awkward silence between everyone and Griffin looked at Trevor for a moment but as he did Trevor just looked at the scanner.

He didn't show the look on his face, but Luna got a chill that ran through her back.

“That's curious of you to say, Griffin. Yet I'm not working for money." Griffin blinked.

“What? I don't understand." Griffin began to say as the man shrugged and stretched in that one chair, he sat in.

“Let's say it's a prior obligation." He'd express again, and Griffin just blinked a little more. “Seeing your brother work the way he does… it's amazing. I can see the passion and the drive he has, Griffin. I can see how hard he works to take care of something beyond himself. To learn… of the world around him. That… fundraiser… It's saved lives, Griffin. It's saved countless lives of people that everyone left behind. The fact that he chose it to be for addictions… drugs. That he fought for all that AND he saved his house from the bank and worked to pay for his mother's injuries… let's just say it's a prior obligation. We all, in some way, owe you both that."

Luna tilted her head dramatically with confusion and Griffin just had the face of confusion slapped across it. That didn't make any sense to either of them and he just took a glance at Trevor… his shoulders didn't look as tense now. The man simply sighed and looked on his phone. There was a little laugh that came over him

“Some old show would be re-running on television about now. I'd like to back home watching it." Griffin swallowed.

“Are… you American? I can hear it in your voice." The man nodded.

“I am." He'd say with this blunt honesty “I might not look it, but I'm a Yank. Born and raised there; barely got family here." Griffin swallowed

“So… you are Japanese. I didn't want to assume"

“And think I was Korean? I know I know, it's hard to tell the difference sometimes." The man expressed “I worked with the American Police Departments. We all did." Trevor nervously gave a look away from Griffin, Luna picked up on that.

“Police… Trevor said you guys were Army…" He laughed a little and shot an eye Trevor's way.

“We all served a term or two… Met your father working with the police departments." Griffin stalled.

“I know he… started down there with police since he was like… Twenty-One. Jumped on board and worked with the border. When he… moved back here after meeting my mother he worked in trades. Carpentry… I think. He kind of did it all, always studied new things when he could… Logan would know more about that…" The other man only… looked at him. It was impossible to read his face – Luna knew that. She couldn't tell what went through that human's mind or eyes no matter how she looked at it.

“Yeah; We're all American." He'd express to Griffin with that blunt honesty again “I met your father working on a case, actually. I used to work in a drug related department."

Can't you hear… the runaround in his voice Griffin? He's being so upfront with what he's saying… It's like it's all been rehearsed; that's what it is. There's something else and I don't like it… Griffin. Luna pushed her paws against the back of his head and that only made him try to look behind him

“Luna, stop, that tickles…" Griffin started up and she'd huff. Her huff was rough enough on her throat that she sparked accidently.

It was the… frozen and still lick of flames that made her eyes grow wide. The man darted a hand down to his side.

“Now now, the Vulpix is just antsy, being awake this long will do that. Let it go Umbreon." The man began to say and chuckled… Luna just glanced down to his hand and that's when she'd see it.

Just a bundle of pitch-black fur which suddenly illuminated as though someone turned a switch. It just made a quick little sound at her.

“Don't scare the Pokémon. We don't know if it's dangerous… Vulpix." It replied at her with a simple, casual voice.

“Griffin, Griffin, Griffin!" Logan spoke at him and flicked his hand his way. “It's great to see you, check this out." Logan talked so quickly that Luna could barely keep up with him. Griffin just stepped towards this little glass office with a simple computer desk.

“W – what?"

“This thing is absolute… I mean it's… It's like a…" Griffin blinked and looked at Logan, he just glanced at the plastic bag in Griffin's hand. “Sorry, can I have one of those?"

“The… Canned Coffee? Are you sure you need it…?" Griffin brought up and Logan simply nodded

“Yes, yes! I do need it, I'vebeenawakeforsolongsofar." Logan spoke with this quick and ushered hush at the end and looked back to the computer screen. Griffin just blinked and cracked open the can, and put it to his left.

Logan then took the can and began to drink it as though he forgot it was there and just then realized he had canned coffee…

“Uh… Log-" Luna just watched him hold up a single finger as though to say 'give me a second' and Griffin just left his mouth open; watching his older brother drink the entire can in one go.

“Alright… whoo… I needed that." Logan shook his head “So, I was able to get a needle in Esi and took a sample; then I cross referenced the sample with all the other ones in the entire university database." Griffin nodded

“Yeah…?"

“It's an Apex genome. It's the only way I can think of to describe it in lay mans terms." Logan expressed “It's literally matched in one way or another to ALL of them. Some more than others in terms of basic samples." Griffin just glared at him

“That's… that's so COOL" Griffin made a little too much noise which left Logan to smack his stomach

“Sh, shush shh… The Esi has very sensitive ears. It uses them to see, remember? Echolocation; I overheard you talking to the man in the back. He works with a security firm – I hired them." Logan expressed as he tapped on the keyboard “It's an IOU kind of deal, but I have every single intention of honoring it whenever I am able." He'd express while typing on that keyboard so fast… Griffin just watched him pile in notes at…

Griffin couldn't even tell how fast he was typing.

“Luckily we were able to essentially pull the entire database offline and use the local storages to reference data; and then the other man is cleaning as I go along. He's insane with computers – the one at the scanner. We both spent at least… eight hours in total for this whole thing; it's like some mission impossible level stuff. I've never hacked anything! This is a rush and a half. I always read and read and never did it but now that I've done it and we have this homebrewed software to mask over our work… We're like ghosts. Crazy little ghosts scurrying around an entire haunted city." Griffin just laughed nervously

“R – right… Logan." He replied and swallowed “S-"

“This Esi is astonishing; I've never seen anything with a blood type like this; I've put through every basic scan; it's like a reptilian type… with a… I don't know? Is it human? We'd need to further splice down the cell and figure it out. I knew it was a dragon type, it's basic composition right off the bat says that… it's just the… I need to break it down – I mean down purely PH; plasma's, antigens, all of it. This might even be a blood group of its own. Just that is one unique thing. Then there's the way how it sees; it's eyes according to the scans I have, preliminary naturally, show that it still has the materials to… BUILD them. Like stem cells still working AFTER birth to BUILD an organ. That's… I don't even know how to define that in something that over all, represents a mammal; it is a mammal, it has internal sexual organs. Then there's the digestive system, it's amazing. Like any other Pokémon but this thing can digest next to anything as though it's lived in a place with no food… think Lichen. That microbacteria that can break down rocks overtime? It's like that…"

“I… kind of… follow?" Griffin began, and Logan just smacked his tummy again.

“Then the immune system is beyond… it's amazing; it's all amazing. Hell, it even has these things which tell me that it can… eat its own." Logan mentioned and that left Luna's ear to twitch frantically. “Don't give me that look Griffin, A Liepard will eats own young if it dies; it's natural, it's to protect it's den from potential predators; hell, almost every feli…" Logan stopped talking. Griffin idly tossed his hand in front of his face and waved it. Logan was frozen…

“Did windows crash or…?"

“Shut up…" Logan looked and scrolled through his notes. “It's a feline...? Could… it be? It didn't know what a Tyrunt was… and it doesn't know any other creature, but it knew the… if… that puts it possibly in the end or… Mesozaic? No, no… that's not right. Paleogene wouldn't be right either; nothing could survive the rapid cooling on earth after that mass extinction… so… My bet is the early Neogene era. That's when they lived but something must've happened, Griffin. This is the first time anyone has ever seen anything like this in over… twenty million years. The Miocene Epoch; I need to carbon date a proper fossil, but if I'm right and according to this genome at first glance…" Logan sat back in his seat. “Twenty million years…" Logan laughed “If only da-"

“If he could…" Griffin mentioned dryly and looked out to the scanner. “It's a little… small for something that old, if I remember all those old books when I was a kid… wasn't there something about air pressure or the ozone layer or something?"

“The air density was much, much higher and much purer. It led to mammals being massive; Pokémon back then too… You think this isn't from that time? I mean that's kind of crazy maybe… I don't know." Griffin shrugged

“I mean Tyrunts were frigging HUGE right or became that way? So… why isn't Esi?" Logan scratched his head and put his face into his palms

“I got no clue… Maybe it hid in grass?" Griffin sighed and sagged his shoulders

“Logan… I hate to break it to you but ALL Pokémon hide in grass…" Logan just bluntly looked down to laugh and scoffed.

“Smartass…" he retorted, and Griffin found himself laughing out loud. It was rare that Logan called Griffin that; but whenever he did… Griffin felt like he won something special, after a while Griffin began to laugh too… then Griffin's smile faded.

“Are you okay?" Logan nodded immediately after.

“Of course I am bud. I'm totally fine." Griffin just blinked

“you have… like fifty pages of work there… just notes on everything, it's like your… working so…? It's like you think you could… It's like you're working as though it's your last day on earth!" Griffin brought up and Logan simply looked back at the computer screen.

“I'm fine bro. I'm completely fine… Are you?" Logan began to say, and Griffin gave him a look.

“I… don't know. I ran into something weird after I left Maiden's Peak." Griffin brought up and Logan leaned back in his seat and rotated the office chair to face Griffin.

“What was it?" Logan asked, and Griffin sighed

“Ayumu knew about it after I tried to scan something with my Pokédex… it made this horrid hissing sound – made my skin crawl. Error codes on even YOUR Pokédex…" Luna flicked her ear again and looked at Griffin.

That… battlefield… right? From that far back…? How long has it been already? Long enough I think, so much has gone on, but I know it's only been… maybe six or so days. Luna thought to herself. I just… can't believe Esi is all like… like THIS? I don't even understand anything they talked about; what's the deal and these scientist types and blood anyways? Bloods like… in you to LIVE… Griffin sighed as Luna glanced over at Esi… she could hear it chitter on endlessly. Logan just stared at him firmly, hearing the word 'error' and 'code' caught all of his focus.

“I don't really know… but I heard the sound it made. I can't really…" Griffin tried to clear his throat and, in all attempt, mimicked it. It was a horrible voice cracking attempt. Then Griffin tried one more time. Griffin mimicked the sound best he could.

“Cheshira? Th-" Something thrashed and yipped in some horrible way behind them.

“Logan!" The man inside of the room with the scanner called out to him in a firm, powerful voice “It's going BALLISTIC" He began to say and just… flopped onto Esi. The thing kept screaming in some horrible way; a way that left Luna to leave her ears pinned and her eyes wide.

The humans couldn't hear her… not in the way Luna could… She never thought in any of her days would she listen to something scream and beg and plead endlessly. Yell and… it curled her blood and left every hair on her pelt to stand up on ends. Logan burst out of his chair and opened the door to the room in a manner of seconds.

“Just hold it… Esi! It's okay; It's Logan! Esi!" Logan just looked back at Griffin and stared down the smaller thing. “It's got to be connected... We need to knock her out – get a Tranq. Twenty Milligrams; it should be enough to at least calm her; any more… who knows what could happen." The man didn't question him at all and Logan just got a hold of a needle… Griffin looked away, but Luna didn't take her eyes from the little black purple-furred thing behind the glass. The way how it… just looked at her in all… eternal fear.

She couldn't handle the screaming and pulled out of the top of the backpack… Luna couldn't handle the frightful sounds and the horrified noises.

It was… if there was a word for it… unreal? Inhumane? It left Luna so cold inside that she needed to move past that glass pane before it shut closed. Luna let the glass door hit her on the way in. Logan and that strange man just fought with that thing which thrashed around; Logan had to jolt back

“It's quills just stabbed me!" Logan remarked and pulled back “Damnit; we need to shut her up... Those quills are like knives or…! Like a Sandslash or something!? Needles!?" Logan went back in to hold Esi down, but Luna hopped on a small chair and hopped onto the scanner.

She just looked down at that thing. Its muzzle was this short snout; rounded like an Eeveelution of some sort… its ears were massive and furred on the inside like a Fennekin… the body was covered in fine fuzzy fur as though it wore a thin haze of fluff which surrounded these strange scales. The hair was so thin as though it was supposed to grow out entirely. A proud, thick and bushy necklace of thin – needle like quills hung all around its neck as though to protect its throat… it hung down like an odd beard and shone off light as it refracted and reflected it. As though to say it were rock or some kind of rare precious metal. The eyes were this milky white, but they had this glimmer in them that left Luna to sit down and look at her. It chittered so much as though it was panicking, as though it couldn't tell the difference between Luna and the monster it thought it saw. Luna gently huffed… calmly huffed… and the Esi stopped squirming for only a moment.

“Don't hurt me… Don't eat me… I don't want to…! I don't want to go back! Please don't let me go… don't let me go… don't…" The soft… horrified and meager voice touched Luna's ears and she just exhaled in reply.

“So that's what I looked like…" Luna mentioned and began to giggle a little, the Esi just went silent… then it started to chitter. Logan and the other man just stared at them both. “I guess I did look really scared when Bandit found me…" Luna began to giggle more and smiled “Why… would I hurt you? We talked before, didn't we?"

“Y… where is it?" She began to say, and Luna frowned “It's scary… they're not good – they're never good… there's only one… two? Good ones? It's when they eat special… things… They can't eat that. They can't eat… you're alone when you do that… always… always…"

“You don't need to be scared of me!" Luna commented happily “It's nice to meet you, Esi. So… don't cry so much. It's the human, he made a sound like that… thing? I don't even know what it is!" She'd mention with a smile and a flicker of her tails “So there's nothing to worry about. Okay…?" It just looked up at her from the flat-top of the scanner “You have… A Logan, here right? Well… I have… A Griffin…?" She'd start to explain and furrowed her brow as she talked. “So, don't fear us."

“I want Raticate…" She'd say softly “Raticate says he's a grandpappy. What's a grandpappy anyways?" Esi asked and flicked her ears.

She's… older then me…? She hardly acts it, especially now. She's almost… Moonlights age? And she acts younger than I do or even… Yuny when it's scared. I can hear the age in her voice…

“It's a father of your father." Luna began to say “It's… like family."

“What's family? You just bury dens for them. It makes it easier to bury over the bones after." It began to say, and Luna just felt her back crawl. She knew about how Pokémon hunted… yet it felt different in this small… insignificant way. A way that left her paws to dig against the scanner.

What's… Family? Is there even a… way to explain that?

_ Do… I even have the right to explain it? _

It ran through Luna's thoughts as Esi just brought her head up

“It understands the Vulpix…? How?" The other man said as he looked at Logan.

“I don't… really know. Ancient Pokémon are known not to unless… they… interact with Pokémon from the modern world. Most fossils that are revived they're slowly introduced to modern Pokémon; well-trained ones. Luna's just… talking to it like it's any other Pokémon… and it's talking back to her." Logan expressed and chuckled drly. “L – let Esi go, let her go." The man just hesitantly let the Pokémon go

“It's scales feel… weird. Like it's not scales…? It's like hard… clay almost." Logan gave him a look.

“It's like a Pokémon that was born too early and is still developing outside of the egg. The embryonic stages I mean. This… could branch studies in human medical research like there's… It could be the single greatest discovery known." Logan began to say as Luna just looked at her… and Logan looked at them both staring at each other.

“Well… Esi I don't know how to really explain it." Luna mentioned with a puzzled face. “Let's just say that you feel fuzzy inside when you have family around you. Like eating lots of berries when you haven't." Luna tried to redirect the conversation

“I like those berry things! They're so sweet and they have this… this thing. What is it?"

“Juice?" Luna expressed… “Or do you mean sugar?" Esi nodded frantically

“Yes yes! A Logan gave me this weird silver thingy with powder and a little water."

Sugar water?

“He gave me ALL SORTS of them, some were super bitter, and some were like so spicy that I couldn't lick it, but I did anyways!" She'd mention proudly “I've never had anything that tasted so… so… different and wonderful." Esi mentioned “It's better then rocks or bones." Luna tilted her head

“How can you even…? Nevermind, A Griffin makes all sorts of yummy foods!"

“A Logan does too! He has these funny round thingies that were at the Raticate den!" Luna tilted her head “They're tall and they have all sorts of things inside! I like the one… A Logan calls them Pinaps." Luna smiled

“They're really sweet and sometimes even sour too!" Esi shook her head like crazy and repeated her name repeatedly. Luna just made a simple… obvious observation on them… and Esi went nuts with excitement.

“They really are! I think they're the best!" Esi expressed with a flick of one of her two tails; Luna had to study it as it curled and thrashed at the air curiously. They were simple thin tails that appeared tapered at the end or pointed with a soft little round of tuft. It nearly reminded her of a more narrow and straightened Pikachu tail of all things. That left Luna to tilt her head with all sense of scrutiny as it went crooked and arched as though the tail had… joints.

It widely wagged like her own, but they bent around in ways that Luna could never make her tail go. Logan just huffed as he stared at them both and chuckled before putting this needle down

“Maybe it just needs more interaction. I could unlock that side of the Poké Ball… no it's too risky; not without the software I'd need to… change its data constantly. I mean to the near millisecond constantly." The man beside him gave him a firm but entertained look.

“Sounds like we have another eight hours." Logan laughed

“I can't believe we actually cracked into a university…"

“Don't let it go to your head, this is easy stuff; this is the stuff anyone can do, Kid." Logan just sighed

“Yeah, I know… I'm… trying to brainstorm the best place that could have a research facility on blood..." Luna just heard something shuffle from behind her, yet it was a familiar loud click and a flash of light that she was met with. There was this wonderfully curious and fluffy face that she noticed as the Esi clicked her tongue endlessly as though to see it.

“Johto." A voice said as a man stood against the darkness of the room, Luna had to take a firm glance around. There was… more then one human here. More then what she counted originally. The rest just stayed silent or looked over various kinds of equipment they had. “Johto has a facility that specializes in categorizing Pokémon blood types. They have everything, but it's a high-end government lot… not some university." The man spoke as something nipped Luna's tail.

“H – hey!" She'd say and met a goofy face of a young Poochyena. “Wait… you're from that store…"

“I told you which one shampoo was!" The Poochyena commented as the man sighed and held up a Poké Ball. Logan simply cleared his throat and glanced back at him as the large man returned his Poochyena. Logan blinked a little after that and went to talk but that hardened, old but still ridiculously large and bald cut man simply expressed.

“All of these things you looked into are preliminary. Unless you want to cut and gut the Esi" Luna froze and Esi's ear twitched and flaked against her fur. “The best way to find out more then just this would be to bring her to a major research facility. There's one in every region that specializes in different things… the one here specializes in Pokémon-Human relations… Professor Oak runs that one. The rest are government sector… I'm not feeling up for trying to hack into a Japanese Government database. Especially from WITHIN the country." Logan simply swallowed a little

“Isn't there anywhere else?" The man chuckled… that large, stoic man with a scar on his face; the one over his eye as though it were a hooked claw that cut down his brow to his chin.

“Sure… Log. Team Rocket, Magma, Aqua… I don't know much else; I've heard Team Galactic as a name. They'd have everything too, but I doubt you want to bring Esi to what's basically a mafia." Logan simply swallowed and shook his head no.

“Then we go with Government… stay ahead of Griffey by a region and spend our time to check back with him before we leave for the next one. Once we hit stateside, IF we even hit to Unova and other regions like that… I know private sector companies that operate with their own research firms. It could make it easier to compare Esi to the worldwide databases. The genome projects, etc." Luna just watched the man walk past her after he talked as though he single-handedly decided their course of action and… give her a curious glance and a gentle little sigh, one that she barely heard. “I can't believe your special attack nearly matches that of a Gyarados… curious…" He'd mention to her as though it were just a human talking so casually to a Pokémon that he could understand her… and as he went through the glass door outside of the scanner room Griffin just looked at him with a flinch.

“I like the jacket kid." He mentioned “Looks like I'm looking over your brother for a while. All good, I'm private sector security." He expressed with a wave “Good luck with the Celadon gym… Griff. Oh, and I hope that stove helps you out; I know the one I have had been helping me plenty." Luna just followed towards the door after saying bye to Esi.

I want to leave… now. That huge man is scary; very scary. Luna brought up in her own mind and panic. Her heart throbbed against her chest so much that it hurt. Why is this so… convoluted and terrifying? What about this world am I missing? Luna felt it run through her mind as she'd pass through the glass door… slipped by a crack that Griffin held open with a shaken and quivering palm. Can't we… just have a normal adventure? Like that dream I had?

Can't it just be an adventure without broken promises… can't I just have friends for the sake of being friends? Is that… just naivety? Is that wrong? I just want all my questions answered… and I… just want him out of my head…

I think… I want him out of my head because I want to go home with him… and I know I can't do that.

Thief:

“What do you mean she got in trouble?" Thief heard his voice in a veil of white and dark… and abstract of all knowing surrounded his whole form “What's the Scary Mirror? That sounds scary… why would anyone go there?" Thief felt himself blink and his world became a flurry of bright sunlight; a wind hovered through him as he'd look at the face of an Arcanine at the other side of a sandy bank… one dug out and at least feet in diameter. A perfect circle… one that was just deep enough that a cub couldn't drown if it filled up with water. The Arcanine just looked at Thief with a weary and confused eye.

“She left with Lumine early yesterday morning. They… went adventuring; I think they were looking for you." The Arcanine expressed honestly and softly but that didn't stop Thief's ears from folding.

“S – so it's my fault…?" The Arcanine sighed

“No. It's not you fault… It's not your fault little Thief." He'd express as though to reassure him “…It's not…"

“W… where did… mommy… go?" Thief struggled out the words as though he didn't really know what to call that Ninetales. The word didn't come to him naturally. She didn't hum and sing like his mother would. As though she didn't know the songs that Thief wanted to know; to listen to. To understand…

“Mom went to talk to the elders with Luna and Lumine. It's a Ninetales and Vulpine matter. It's not a place for Arcanines and Growlithes." He'd express and only gave a gentle huff against the warm wind… He lit his muzzle like a little pilot light where a blue flame sparked and burned fuel pointlessly… Thief remembered that he jolted from that… and then stared.

“How do you do that?" The Arcanine tilted his head.

“You… don't know how? Even…" He shook his head frantically “You've never made… fire?" Thief treaded his paws to the ground and frowned.

“We… tried to… It got cold and wet… someone didn't wake up…" The Arcanine just hung his head back and clamped his muzzle down with a flair of smoke that seethed out of his nostrils. “D -D – Did I make you mad? You look mad… don't be mad…" The Arcanine blinked and simply flopped his large tail on the ground

“I'm not mad… not at you." He expressed gently “I can't be mad. You never… it never should have happened Little Thief." Thief just smiled toothily

“It's like a bad dream… a big blurry bad dream. I feel a little bit better. I don't really understand it, I mean they're all just sleeping right? So… if they don't wake up that means they're having a good dream, right?" The Arcanine held his tongue.

“Yes… they'd be having a wonderful dream… Little Thief. They still are." The Arcanine expressed and didn't look away from him. He didn't shy away as though he wanted Thief to understand his emotions… his side. Thief just blinked with a smile that showed pure naivety of it all.

“I bet they're having a dream about all sorts of yummy food!" The Arcanine laughed with this little sparkle from his eyes.

“And I bet you're hungry little one! How about we eat and then go see mommy?" Thief simply smiled and nodded

“Aye!" He'd remark and stuck out his tongue as the Arcanine rolled his eyes

“Now don't make THAT noise… Lumine used to when she was barely a kit. It's all she'd make." Thief grinned playfully

“I know! When she gets really excited; I mean like super duper excited she makes that sound too!" Thief mentioned and laughed hysterically “I wanna make the same noise too!" Thief expressed and that left the Arcanine to laugh uncontrollably.

“I see. You like having a sister, right?" Thief nodded happily

“She's the bravest and the smartest EVER." Thief expressed with a happy smile “When we go into any cavern to explore EVER, she always takes the lead! She's like a big bright lantern… like the ones we sometimes see over the water. Have you seen them?" The Arcanine smiled

_“Many times… after you did, your appetite became ferocious, you know that? I was worried you wouldn't want to eat again but those lanterns just filled the sky."

“Where do they come from anyways?"_ The Arcanine just huffed

“A place beyond us… Little one. It will always be that." The Arcanine commented “Now let's stop with all this curious chitter and eat some!" He'd reply as Thief would distract himself with the food, he brought… they'd talk about all sorts of things as every other little hovel listened in to that one Growlithe with a surprisingly louder then expected voice. An excited little cub that wanted to learn everything about the world, one that asked the most pointless of things…

Things that they all already knew but left him so far behind that all he wished was to catch up. To be like all of them. To be normal in every regard because of a past he could barely comprehend. That was a wish he'd want to say to the wind… to the water and the random pointless shells he'd collect all over the beach.

Then, there was that sparse little forest and a trail so treaded and worn in that they walked on. One where the very soil pushed against their paws as Thief would nearly hop into every single one of those Arcanine's footprints. The only time throughout the day when that Arcanine had the chance to stop by their nest…

And arguably his own. Thief only followed him closer and closer until he'd nearly push against his fur. He'd never been this deep into the forest and when a clearing came into view that big Arcanine sat down.

_“We cannot go further, we only can once a year… except for you, Little Thief."

“Why…?"_ The Arcanine stayed silent and stoic.

“Because of something that you hadn't done." The Arcanine replied to him.

“What was my daddy like? Was he super duper evil? Like… evil evil? I heard he ate all the little cubs before I was born." The Arcanine stayed quiet.

“That's not a conversation for here…" He'd whisper so silently that Thief could barely pick up on it… In fact, Thief had to read his barely moving lips. Thief just felt his tail, one which was flickering earlier still and thump against the forest floor. Against broken down twigs and all sorts of other things. He'd just look at the Arcanine closely…

Even though it was impossible to read his face, it was his body language that expressed nothing more then a fractured… worthless apology for some unspoken… broken and pointless promise. It just seethed from him in silence and Thief just scrunched up his nose as though to catch onto a horrible thought or a scent that didn't sit well with him. All he could do was look up at the tree's and sit on his rear end.

“So why do the seasons change?" Thief asked after a while and the Arcanine looked up… it was a first marking from the tree's which told them that summer was coming forth. The way how the leaves relaxed so to speak and stilled as though to brace for a coming heat.

“Because Arceus created it that way, in turn all things have a chance to live in a time that suits them the most. He created it that way; as to why, I'd have no clue myself."

“Did he make evil Pokémon too?" Thief asked after a while.

“There's no such thing… Little Thief." The Arcanine expressed silently once more and stood to his feet.

“Daddy! Thief!" A little Vulpix ran towards them from the edge of the forest… from that opening in the tree's, alongside with a tall Ninetales; a slender and regal one.

“That's not my name Lumine! It's like… like a silly nickname!" He replied and giggled after… naturally he couldn't be angry about it, it was the name that just stuck to him like clue or thin needle-pines to his fur. “What about Luna?" Lumine huffed a plume of smoke, one which left Thief to jolt.

“She's gotten in the most trouble…" Thief tilted his head

“What? Why?"

“She's not the future head maiden… so the Elders blamed her even after I told them that I was the one that went… I even told them Luna protected me by scaring off a monster! They just said it's her fault… that her 'bad blood' influenced me…" Lumine expressed with a gentle huff “You better get out of here before they start blaming you!" She'd express firmly and push her paws against his chest “Let's go… they mentioned something at her about caves. I think they're going to like… ground her for a week in one or something. They were SUPER mad. Like stupidly mad about it." Luminescence expressed “They even blamed the monster escaping on HER. They said that SHE did it but I mean the thing jumped out at US and it ran past all of those Ninetales too…"

“A monster escaped!? Why wasn't I told right away?" The Arcanine expressed and Lumine huffed and frowned

“It jumped into the sea so… I don't get what that's about. It ran right past us like super duper quick! Like Lightning quick! Like this!!" Lumine ran around frantically in circles “It's like it was running away from a really big and scary monster!" She expressed frantically and the Ninetales rapped a tail against her nose

“Now calm down, lets go home now. All of us, we'll put this whole matter behind." Thief just flicked his ears and frowned as they wandered down the trail… yet he took a simple second to look back at the opening when they got extremely far away and into the nestle of the brush.

Something stared at him from a far, right on the edge of the forest. A pair of beady red-yellow like eyes that glared him down… before they turned away and took their leave. It left him to swallow shyly and bolt to catch up to the Arcanine.

Thief refused to leave his side for the rest of the afternoon… and when he had to leave, he'd just hug as close as he could to the Ninetales. She didn't mind that, as though she grew accustomed to his clinging.

“Hey Lumine! Is it true that you both fought off a monster!? I heard my mom talking about it!" A voice mentioned from a little dug-out nearby

“Yeah! That's basically it! But it ran away on us because it was so super scared!" Lumine replied with a giggle “Luna did almost ALL of the work though! She was all like 'I can handle it! Don't get hurt!'" Lumine replied shortly after

“Is that freak there too? I mean like right now? I wanna play…" The voice expressed to her and she'd nod a little reluctantly.

“My brother is here." The voice laughed a little

“Super brave and like… way… WAY too kind. Lumine the Merciful!" The voice mentioned and laughed non-stop “Let's go play! I'll get Lucius too!" Thief felt his ear flicker at the sound of a name “He's been acting weird again… looking out at the water! I told him that if he's not careful the tides just going to flash flood in and take him away! Let's go get him!" It expressed and Lumine nodded before nudging Thief's side. She prodded him with her nose as he was curled against that Ninetales.

“I'm going to go play! So, don't worry, I'll be back for dinner later." She'd say and just hopped out of the little dug out… while Thief just worryingly buried his muzzle into his foster mothers' fur. Those thoughts… what Lumine said earlier. It concerned him… It drove him. So, he'd wait until the sun went down, sleeping all he could in the bright cheery sunlight and a bundle of near gold-white fur. For once he didn't make a sound and just listened to all the noises and voices around him. The friendly laughs and playful growls… the adventures they all would create. The stories they'd all invent as he just…

He just stayed at home. It was familiar to him; boundless to his own imagination in a place that although as open as the sky was blue beyond the clouds on rainy days… he felt trapped in four narrow walls creating promises to himself… Promises that he knew he couldn't keep alone.

I know the cavern it came to Thief's mind but it sounded more like his own voice telling him that. _I know… if they do… I know where Luna is going to go. It's to scare cubs if they're bad. If the tide rises… it fills with water.

That would kill her…? Kill her…?_

Thief shook his head and quivered at the word which played through his mind as though all his maturity and reality ran through it. He'd just aimlessly stare into his mothers' fur; stare into the grain… into the fine weave of thick hairs which went in complete disorder as though the way he buried his nose just made a mess of things.

_They aren't dreaming… are they? They don't dream… after. They stop. It just stops… I don't want Luna to stop like they did. I don't want any of my friends to stop. I don't… but…

**Rules aren't to break… right? We have them to protect everyone because the worlds bigger then ourselves… so… is… it right to be selfish when it comes to friends? Or… is it wrong? It's black and white right? Can… I stop being selfish AND cling onto them? I think that's part of being normal…

Letting go when you need to… Holding on when you have to?

I don't need friends right? What… do I need then? What can I have…? Why am I not normal?**_

It was pitch black around him as though he had just woken up from a nap, but he knew the entire tread through the sparse woods and tightly knit bushes led him to a familiar beachside… one that he picked entirely clean of shells the day before. Thief just slowly dragged his feet through the sand and left his tail to leave a trail. Naturally he just followed along the beachhead and glanced at the water which splashed suddenly to his feet. He'd stare at the foam… at his reflection. He'd look aimlessly at it all alone. Not even a berry to share or give to anyone… he needed.

That was until water splashed him in the face; it left him to sputter out and frantically rub his tongue with the back of his paws. Something slender flicked back into the water… like a thin tail. A curious… wondrous tail that made him tilt his head. The moonlight only flickered and blinded him when it touched the water and as he stared intently and curiously on this strange attacker

He got splashed in the face with salt water again. It made him sputter out and spit all over the beach and then he'd see a trail of water shoot out in the distance… then another.

Another… and another. It was as though a small thin stream pillar of water constantly moved away from him and curled towards a nestle of rocks on the other island. They were these three curious stones amongst the other beachhead; one nearby the caverns and rocks which led to the sea.

“Weird…" And that's when he'd see a small trickle of water at first; one which got bigger and shot at him like a bullet. “Hey! Hey! Alright… what!? What are you!?" Thief snapped back at the sea “I'm not following you! I've been awake ALL night and found nothing! So, what do you WANT!?" He angrily roared at the water and stilled at his own face… something already treaded deep… deep underneath the water and as he'd stare at this very slender shadow…

Thief bolted out of the way that time, with a proud little dodge and a stiff regal back…

And then a wave hit him instead which soaked him to the very bone. As he sat completely drenched, he'd just watch the streams of salty water shoot out of the ocean and follow away once more. It's… exploring right? No one's allowed at those cliffs… No one at all. Buuuuut if some funny ghost does this that IS a weird thing right? So, I'm allowed to go…? I mean that makes sense; they tossed me in one of the caves to look for scary noises before and this is scary… right?

Thief made his way over; scouring up an all too familiar cliffside with very… terrifying and spiked rocks down the right side… past a little cave high above the sea that he didn't or couldn't stop to look at like he did every morning. Like he expected someone to walk out of it and greet him. Thief couldn't stay and scampered his way to the top where thin sparse lines of grass stuck out and this bridge… a crumbled and near broken one connected the two islands. One side; the one that overlooked the spiral arrowhead-like rocks had broken and fallen into the water below. Thief hugged the opposite side tightly as though every fright ran through him with the thought that the whole thing would crumble now that he walked over it. Then it was this tight and narrow crevice-like line he had to wander down; one which hugged the wall so closely and there was only one step where his paw put down pressure and went right through the cliffside.

He was already cautious about it, he put no pressure on it at all and suddenly he realized a real… true fear of heights. Instinct glued him to the water below and he froze on the cliff. It's just adventuring… I… Luna and Lumine are just ahead! They already blasted through this… it's just the treasures on the other side. It's on the other side… other side…

Thief felt his paw tenderly push against solid rock and his heart finally slowed down, the water licked up at him and slowly he'd feel it pool around his feet. The tide rose steadily and surely as though the oceans every intention was to swallow the entire cliffside whole. Thief just stared at the entrance to a large cavern, one the made this echo of a dripping sound as though every splash just seethed through the cracks in the rocks. Those strange thin pillars of water shot up around him and Thief had to look up at the sputter of clean salt water… the kind that danced and flicked around the night sky as though to let every droplet sparkle. But that was never as impressive as the crisp eternal veil behind it, Thief got so distracted with the view that he ended up getting another quick spray on the nose before he'd huff and take a single paw pad into the darkness of the cavern.

“H – hello? I – if there's anything that'll eat me… now would be the time to scare me…?" it felt like his voice echoed throughout the cavern and as he wandered in he'd find that the water became a pool… first shallow and the further and further he went through the dripping cavern it became deep. “Why am I even in here? What am I doing? Adventuring? This is… I could drown, I can't swim so… what am I doing?" Thief spoke allowed and frantically as something scurried above him.

“Thief?" He stalled in the water and flopped his tail down against it with a splash.

“Luna? Why are you here!? The punishment cave is on the other island…" She'd huff in reply

“Those stupid elders with those stupid rules brought me here instead. I can't get out they dropped this big rock in the way… One told me that the water stops at some point, it's dry up here." Thief just followed a voice in a pitch-black cavern and as he hugged the wall… that's when he'd see this suspicious and tiny hole.

“This one? It's like… really dark…" Luna gave a little whine in reply

“I know… it's dark in here too" Thief pushed his nose into the whole and dug his little claws into the rocks as his feet frantically looked for anything to grab onto

“I can't reach the wall… my feet don't-" Thief went silent as something pushed from underneath him; as though it pushed firmly against his tail end and lifted him against the wall. That Growlithe didn't ask any questions and hoisted himself out of the water “I got it! I think a wave pushed me a little…" Thief mentioned and huffed as he flattened his ears and wandered through a little… oddly dug out burrow. As though some creature created a long network of tunnels and dens here once. Thief felt that little push on his rear again and pulled himself to the top.

It was a den, one with old dead grass and a stone floor. It made Thief tilt his head curiously as he'd look around at the sheer size of it. It was huge, like a little hidden clubhouse away from everything and everyone. A special place which made Thief's eyes glow. His voice cut into frame as though it were his own words talking… not a memory or a dream

“Look look Luna! There's another tunnel!" He'd express but she'd huff in reply and sit in the middle of the room on whatever strands of grass were left.

“It's blocked. There's a whole bunch of big rocks in the way…" Luna commented “I remember seeing a whole bunch of them lined up on one side of the beach blocking all sorts of big caves." She commented dryly. “I didn't even get dinner…" She'd say, “They told me that I'd have to wait for the morning… if the water doesn't drown me first…" Thief felt his tail stall and stiffen in reply as he'd fold his ears “It's also freezing… I don't like it."

“W – well you're only here for like tonight, right?" She shook her head no and that left Thief to awkwardly go silent.

“A whole week. I get three berries a day…" The Vulpix explained to him “According to them they said 'Maiden's don't fight! If you want to act like a Guardian, we'll treat you like one!" Luna folded her ears against her head “That's not fair… if they get treated like this…" Thief flopped his tail on the stone below them.

“W… well I mean there is… daddy" Thief mentioned and Luna's ear subtly twitched “He's an Arcanine and he gets to spend his time with all the Vulpix's." Luna just curled up against the stone and stared at it pointlessly.

“I already want to go home… Lumine only got a stern talking to… and they throw me here because 'your father is a filthy egg layer.' Whatever that means…" She began and only frowned as Thief did.

“W – well this… is like a big cave, right? S – so isn't there another spot? I mean this is a huge den space! It's going to be cold so… I can help you find a smaller one; it'll be warmer!" Thief began to mention and…

He found a smile. One that was all too familiar to him. One that selfishly told the world that all because of it things might just be okay. One that was real… even if that seemed and felt so weak. “Let's explore the cave! It's not like we can swim through all that water anyways… OH! I can even stay up ALL night and then when I go to bed, I can bring all the berries I can tomorrow night!" Thief expressed “All because I'm tired during the day… no one is going to… care anyways." Thief only watched Luna recoil and freeze

“You can't do that! They'd… They'd throw you off the cliffs if you did. All of them would." Thief just frowned and pinned his ears against his scalp.

“…" Thief opened his mouth but couldn't find a word to say. “I'm… breaking the rules just by… not being with my brothers. So, if breaking a few more to do something… anything right is a problem… then I guess I am the worst Growlithe on the island." Thief began to say “I'm scared of everyone here… so… how would it make everyone else feel when they're the ones that end up getting scared? That's… I…" Thief began to say and blinked a little “If being… selfish… or greedy like in all those old nap stories are bad. If wanting to help friends or… just each other is selfish of me or… thinking I'm some hero… Then I think that could be a really great hero." Thief explained and softly nodded “I think that's what being an explorer is about. Being… selfish or… terrible by everyone else's view just to help them. So… let me be that and help you." Luna just glared at him from the stone floor

“Why help me… Thief?" Luna began to say “You're the only one on the entire island that's… well… that's free…" Luna blurted out and that left Thief to stall. “I'm sorry… I didn't mean it like that… I mean you… don't have a reason to help?" Thief just lowered his head until he found himself sprawled out on the ground; on her level of view.

“Why do I need one?" Thief asked, and Luna just looked back at him.

“Almost everyone needs or wants something in return you… silly…" She explained and laughed as he stuck out his tongue.

“Can't it just be because I want to be friends?" Thief expressed… “Can't I… just have that one… normal thing like everyone else?" Luna rolled her eyes a little

“You want people to like you…" Thief looked at the ground.

“I want everyone to…" He expressed and sighed softly. “I want to… work hard and help out everyone so that they can… So… I can know why…?" Luna just looked back at him.

“Why… what… Thief?" He just looked down at the stone and at his own paws. His claws dug into the stone and grazed it.

“I… just want to know why… I'm the one that's alive. I'd… trade that with any one of them. I'm not big… or strong or smart or… anything. I just… want to know if it's my fault. If I was selfish somehow… That… I did it? I let them…" Thief just dug into the stone floor. “I… need to know… why. I need to know everything I can, I want… to live a life that all of them would be happy about. That maybe… if they are having a dream where they could see me… they could smile too, whenever I do. I want to be selfless… but I want to know that… Luna… I selfishly want that."

They both stayed in the center cavern as though to endlessly exchange glances between one another… before Thief looked away and lifted himself to his feet. Luna hesitantly followed at first as they'd aimlessly wander through a network of tight winding tunnels… the kind that an Arcanine or a Ninetales could just barely prowl and crawl into. Thief felt his legs turn weak as he'd wander… that feeling of jelly ran through his whole body as though he had to constantly question what he just said. Fear struck through him, questions constantly pulled and tugged at his mind as they'd traverse throughout the caverns in the dark. That's when Thief had to stop and look at one little hole to his right. He followed his nose.

M… Mom? His whole body just stopped, and his fur shivered through his whole core as he'd look at one little curious hole in the cavern wall. Mom…? Thief pushed his head into an exceedingly small den… an old den; one filled with this wondrously familiar scent. A scent which surrounded every single one of his thoughts and as he'd wander in all he'd find was this huge pile of old… yellow-ish colored strands of wheat. They were brittle by now and faded in color and as he'd bury his nose into those brittle straw-like branches his eyes met with something that glimmered and shone in the cavern.

“Thief?" He didn't respond to Luna's voice… he couldn't. All he did was stare at two gentle paw-prints on the wall; both of which were dipped in some form of old red paste. Like blood… but it smelled curiously of sugar. The two paw prints were vastly different, from size to the pattern of fur that was caught on the wall… between those two prints – one where the tips of there claws would meet… sat a stone. “Thief? What are you doing?"

All he did was push his paw in-between both of the prints. Against the stone on the wall and to Luna's sudden shock and yelp a huge flash surrounded the entire room.

That was the start of when Thief's tail subtly changed color… towards more of an amber-orange that he had now… the kind which more showed off the fire and spark in his fur then the beige cream other Growlithes had.

It changed nothing else about that utterly young… weak Growlithe. A cub that was nowhere close enough to understanding exactly what a stone like that could do… The kind that looked like lightning capsuled in an endless swirl of scorched flame. A stone like no other one…

Luna and Thief ended up sleeping there for that night, her unaware that it was his parents' den and the only comment between them…

“Why… if these are Arcanine den's… and the Ninetales have the same… why are they all blocked off by big rocks? Why leave the Vulpix's here as punishment?" Luna began to say as Thief curled up against the wheat and shoved his nose into anything he could sniff.

He never knew how exciting it was to be able to capture the faintest scent his own father gave off… even though he was told to be a horrific monster; the kind that imprinted his paw into a den with his mate and gave a stone to forever bind them together.

Luna:

Mid-day dawned on her with a flurry of bright sunshine as her eyes slowly crept open… the sunlight poured through these thin curtains as she'd aimlessly search out the window… past the blinds and to the tips of these large skyscrapers in the distance.

They returned, or were more dropped off, at the hotel room without Logan… Without Trevor. They both went towards Johto or, so they told Griffin. It left her to stretch and yawn against the edge of the bed and as she'd look around that all too familiar hotel room…

She'd curiously spot Bandit sleeping on the large comfy chair by the window; as though she chose to sleep there of all places.

Luna coughed a little and took another quick glance around as her hackles rose against her lower back. Excitement and alarm chased from the tip of her nose to the end of every single tail. She saw Moonlight whom slept against Griffin's backpack as though to keep it warm, Absol slept at the edge of the bed on the carpet underneath Luna… Scarf… he looked to sleep nearby. Or at least as close as he could without receiving a scolding by her. It made Luna giggle, imagining him sleep walking towards the Absol…

The only one she couldn't find was Thief, until he felt the wind flutter in from the glass sliding door. It was open? Luna softly treaded down the side of the bed and landed on the carpet nearby Absol with a soft thud and aimlessly…

Aimlessly she followed him, or where she thought he'd be. Right out the sliding door and into the bright… blue and cloudy sky as he'd look over the city.

“Th…" Luna felt her eyes grow bright and wide, the shock ran through her as she froze mid-walk… half inside of the apartment… half outside. His fur was horrifically singed and left bare pockets of chubby pink flesh underneath. Every bare spot… even though it should have been pink looked more like a cracked white; the kind that spliced open and bled. His breath was labored and rough and that tail of his… it didn't wag or move like she thought it would.

She pictured she'd walk out to see some silly look on his face like he always had; talking about the big bright word and all the things he wanted to learn… Luna only blinked as Thief aimlessly stared out to the horizon of the city and awkwardly she'd wander out and sit nearby him. “I… it's big and pretty… right?" Luna expressed and smiled a little. Thief didn't exactly look her way… he just silently looked out at the horizon.

“I… guess I am weak." Thief began to say as Luna pulled her head back… she just silently stared at him. A look… like guilt came over her face. Puzzled… lost and frantically she'd swallow as her tails thumped against the vinyl coat on the patio. “I'm… sorry for being… a pain in the tail, I guess… I don't know what to really say. I don't know what to do…? I thought it was all supposed to be black and white, it was easier like that. Thinking that way." Thief began to say. “I want to help… everyone but… I always end up being a burden and when… I do… I feel like I'm just helping myself. Taking from them… taking something from them but I don't know what that is." Luna just looked out at the city in silence, listened to the busy streets and watched the stream of sunlight which enveloped not only them but also the entire world before them in this beautiful splendor of crystal and glass. “It's fake. It's fake because… I'm just desperately trying to make friends, right? Force… friendship?" He continued with this stilled and calm voice. “I'm just stealing…?" Thief expressed silently “I've been going back and fourth over and over again like I'm so… confused or…"

“You're telling me…" Luna replied after a little silence. “I mean… I'm also stuck thinking like that, wanting things to be black and white… simple. That's why you're out here right? Because it all looks so big and… it's simple. Looking at everything from so far away and then you just know that you're smaller then everything around you. It's a scary thought I guess. Watching it all go bye and it feels like some big unstopping blur where you barely remember what you did the day before and the things you say and do. It's like you're just… stuck to some destiny." Luna expressed and huffed as Thief began to say

“I don't want some silly destiny. I want to explore… learn… and I want to make friends along the way." Luna giggled a little more then she thought she would.

“You sound a little like Griffin now…" She'd mention with a smile and Thief finally cracked a little smile on his muzzle. He'd just stare… He'd stare ahead of him rather then around him. As though he just wanted to move forward even if that look was only for a moment. It was this unknown pyre that Luna had never seen in his eyes before.

“Yeah… I think I'm a little like him… I met an Arcanine in Alola, that's where all this came from… and I think… I'm a little like him too, but he already knows what… he wants. He selflessly protects and… raises cubs. Cubs that aren't his… but he knew me. He knew me the moment he saw me… he just told me that he wanted me to remember… that it's all I'm really good for. I don't want to believe that… can't I… remember, make friends… explore with you all and find… something beyond myself? Why does it feel like there's only two options every… every time…?" Luna just softly stared at the railing in front of her.

“Because… maybe… maybe you've stopped trying to find all the options…?" Luna tried to say “Maybe you've grown so content with… being with Griffin that you've strayed away from what you want. What do you want Thief?" He went a little silent… He went silent and flicked an ear to her question.

“I just… want to make the right choices. I want to go beyond what I have, and I want to remember. I want to remember all their names; their faces. I just want to see them all smile again. I think all I want… Luna is my brothers again. I think all I want is for it all to be different. I want them to be proud of me… I want them to look at me like I'm some big pyre in their eyes. But I already know that dream is… impossible." Luna just stilled her entire fur as the haunches on her back rose to the air. It made her quiver as she went blank from her thoughts… It made her realize that Thief was having dreams like she was or; remembering too…

“Then… can't you try for a dream like that?" She began to say and looked up at the sky. “Don't… you want to believe that they can… or that they already are?" Thief simply shook his head in reply.

“I know they aren't… because the moment I expressed those… stories I overheard to them. The ones about being an explorer, they thought it was like being a hero. I'm not a hero. I'm not some perfect… righteous and wonderful… I'm not." He'd explain, and Luna just flicked her eyes away. “I gave… them a dream to look forward to and if they can… see me or… hear me. This isn't the dream. This isn't a good dream for them, this isn't. I simply got a little lucky… Moonlight helped me at the magnet train and I… got angry. I was selfishly angry. Greedy and now I know that all I have is some stupid impossible goal. That I built my life around that and haven't… ever tried."

Luna just looked down at the web-like streets that sprawled before them and gave a small nod… a flair from her nostrils and a puff of smoke from her muzzle. He didn't look sad… he didn't whine in his voice. All Thief did was say something honestly… earnestly. It was this mature sound in his voice that made her fur flicker against the bright sunlight. Her shadow danced from the rays that flickered hot air against her back.

“So try. Try now. I don't think any explorer or hero knows where to go or what to do or how to do it. Why can't you try? Because all I hear is that you want to be the best… YOU can be. That'll take a lot more then just… saying you'll do it. That'll take more then just acting kind with this… this thought that you'll be repaid for it. I think all you want to do is grow up… Thief. Grow up and become the best you can be for… everyone. It's… such a simple dream when you break it down like that. Something that I think everyone wants at the end of the day. To be the best version of themselves that they can be." Thief just stayed quiet after that and aimlessly looked out at the city… and as Luna went to walk back inside, she froze to the sound of his voice.

“Thanks… I… Think I can at least try. I think I owe everyone that even though I won't know what… I'm even doing." Luna smiled and nodded

“I don't think anyone ever really knows. I just think everyone's definition of being a friend is a little different… I think you're just seeing it as a word… a little bit. I think it's different because everyone views them differently, so… I think a good place to start would be to find your own definition of that funny little word… I think…?" Luna expressed and gave a gentle blink before walking back into the hotel room. As she wandered in… she'd look at this funny, folded piece of paper on the table with that television on it. A folded… weird piece of bright red clothes was on that table. It made Luna nervously laugh and as she did, she'd hear something stretch and yawn. Griffin woke up and crossed his legs on the bed with his razzed hair and rubbed his eyes.

“That canned coffee was a bad idea… what time is it?" Griffin went for his phone and looked at the time. “Oh… OH!" He'd toss the covers as he got out of the bed “We NEED to get to the gym; they'll be packed... .and… Wait I have like…" He went on the phone and called up Brad as Luna just watched him nearly stumble around and look for his clothes. Brad answered the phone and as he talked to him; that sandy-blonde and thick haired teen turned the hotel room nearly upside-down searching.

“What? Natasha…?" Griffin blinked and looked on the Television set… “What do you mean you dressed up as your favorite… character…? Natasha!? Natasha!??" Griffin oddly and nervously laughed as he'd look at the message.

He opened it and read it out loud. “Good luck… thanks… Natasha. She even drew the… panda thing too… God Damnit…" Griffin crumpled up the paper and looked at the utterly tacky outfit. Luna just stared at him and he stared back before Bandit gave a curious yipping-like laugh. “Yeah… she stole my clothes… ALL of my clothes." Griffin sighed and looked at his phone. “And now she's sending emoji's…" Griffin tirelessly sighed “How does she have the room to… carry an entire…? She's got the gloves, the shirt, the pants… Wait…?" Griffin looked down before he went red in the face. Luna just looked up at him as Bandit continued to yip and laugh… it woke everyone up; Thief even made his way back into the hotel room. “She… she took my… muscle shirt…" Griffin came to the realization “They… came in here and took my clothes… when I told them what hotel room…? I don't cosplay… I don't cosplay…! I DON'T COSPLAY!"

He ended up in the lobby in that cosplay outfit with a dozen and a half eyes staring at him as he checked out of the hotel with a sour and wounded look on his face. It was as though a rain cloud poured down over him. People whispered left and right about the foreign looking young man dressed up as a totally dated character… Bandit refused to go back into her Poké Ball… They all did.

Moonlight was stuck with some dumb little grin… Bandit endlessly laughed – Thief was inside of the capsule alone after Griffin put on that burn spray for him… Scarf and Absol both clung to him and Luna just aimlessly sat around his shoulders to look ahead – her rear paws pushed on his bag. It was entirely loaded up and made a rather firm platform for her to stand on.

“H – have a good day." The woman behind the counter expressed as Griffin sharply exhaled and slumped his shoulders

“I'll try to…" She seemed to giggle with his rather tired and bitter tone.

“You have the character spot on at least." She'd express cheerfully, and Griffin went deep red.

“T – T – THAT'S NOT MY INTENTION." He'd defend himself frantically as she'd nervously laugh and casually stepped to the back in mid conversation

“Have a good day!" She'd express with her endless giggles as Griffin just looked at everyone.

“The moment we see Natasha… we're going through a battle and a half… understand!?" Bandit just yipped and hollered as they wandered out of the hotel and that left everyone to look for the noisy Mightyena… and evidently it put all eyes on Griffin as he'd wander down the street…

It didn't help that none of his Pokémon returned to their Poké Balls… that in itself was enough to keep the looks glued on him.

“Is there a convention going on?" One voice said “I didn't hear about it… kind of out of season…"

“Don't look at him he's a foreigner… that's a little insulting that he'd walk around dressed like that… All of his Pokémon out too; they're taking up space on the sidewalk… must be an American…"

“Whoa look at that!" Another voice said as Griffin ran his fingers through his hair… he didn't stoop so low as to put the gloves on; at least those fit in his bag…

That tacky as hell red jacket didn't fit at all. He knew, because he tried his hardest to cram it inside… but he was too short on time to fix up his sleeping bag… After a while Natasha sent him a text and Griffin fruitlessly tried to call her back but every time he did; she'd reject the phone call. Luna just looked at Griffin furiously type at his phone as she'd endlessly spam little faces and other things similar to them.

“Payback for the cheap shot… What back in Saffron? I won that battle FAIR AND SQUARE…" Griffin remarked to his phone and occasionally looked away from it; some people laughed harder then he felt comfortable. “Why would she put me on the spot like… like THIS!?" Griffin remarked again as a group of people looked his way “This is why I don't cosplay… but NOOOO she has to go to my hotel room and steal ALL of my clothes… I even have the damn… boots!? Why my shoes? Why TAKE my SHOES of ALL the things!?" Bandit didn't stop laughing at all… Luna even cracked a little smile as she watched everyone walk by them and listened to Griffin going through every single stage of denial. “Should have said something relevant… an Anime that's completely relevant, but I had to run my mouth; I just HAD to tell her the ONLY one I like… Why couldn't she had just given me a costume that hid my face?"

“Like Alphonse!?" A voice called out from behind him

“I DIDN'T DO THIS BY CHOICE YA KNOW!" And they just laughed and held their sides endlessly

“That makes it EVEN BETTER!" They expressed “I wish I had data! I'd be taking pictures…" Griffin went red and picked up the pace… any more and his face would look like Luna's fur.

It took a while… some stops from odd strangers wanting a photo or two with him and his 'utterly awesome and homemade' cosplay… Griffin tried to talk out of those but ended up in the photo's anyways. Every time his shoulders sagged as though he felt defeated… like his soul climbed out of his body every single second it had the slightest glimpse of freedom from the embarrassment of those mortal clutches… Yet after a while it… got a little fun.

Not that Griffin would admit that at all… and eventually he'd find the gym. It… was a strange gym to say the least and Griffin hung outside, in front of the steps and sat down. First, he looked and typed furiously at his phone… until a voice made him jolt.

“Coulda been worse; I could've left you without clothes."

“Natasha!" She just gave a 'what… me?' sort of shrug as Griffin jumped to his feet. “What the HELL was this for!? What do you mean a cheap shot in Saffron?"

“Yuny against Shadow isn't all that fair!" Natasha remarked “It's not like you REALLY won that battle anyways!"

“What are you talking about! I totally won that battle!" Griffin snapped back “Now… GIVE ME BACK MY CLOTHES!" He'd remark and that left her to laugh

“I left them back at the Pokémon Center. I told them I was holding onto them for a friend" She replied and stuck out her tongue. Brad stepped out from around the corner as Griffin remarked that SHE wasn't wearing anything cosplay related.

“I totally am!" She mentioned “Winfrey is my favorite!" She expressed and laughed harder “It's entertaining because you're completely red in the face… God you young men are ALL the same. It makes you all… annoying." Natasha stated, and boldly at that “It's why I prefer Kalos over any of the other regions." Brad walked up closer as Griffin went to open his mouth again and stopped.

“S… seriously? W – Why are you dressed… like THAT?" Griffin expressed, and Brad simply rolled his eyes “DID SHE DYE YOUR HAIR!? WHAT THE HELL!?" Natasha stuck her tongue out as though proud of her wonderful hair work

“I made Melody wear something too!" She mentioned as Melody stepped out of the corner… or more peaked around the corner in a blue uniform.

“WHERE DO YOU…. OF ALL PEOPLE HAVE THE ROOM FOR ALL OF THIS!?" Natasha snorted

“I… may have… sort of… kind of sent it from my PC." Griffin tilted his head

“What?" Natasha laughed a little

“Well… remember how I said my dad OWNS an Automobile company? Laurent Motors… Well, let's say you CAN use a Poké Ball… or something similar in some cases… as a capsule for sending and receiving items. All I had to do was ask my Girlfriend in Kalos to do the sending and I receive it at the Pokémon center. My dad pays for my place down there to get away from my crazy BITCH of a mother…"

Everyone stayed silent as she openly remarked the way she did. She nearly yelled that bad word as though to curse the entire universe with it.

“Wait… your family OWNS a car company?" Griffin brought up and Natasha hung her head back and sighed

“I said this before… idiot…"

“I don't think you did… at all, or at least to me…?" Melody simply and quietly replied

“I knew about it, she told me pretty early on." She'd say with a giggle as Smokey huffed from around the corner; Griffin could see the smoke.

“So wait… you ALL ended up being… dressed up by her?" Natasha grinned and smiled deviously

“Well I talked them into it; I just figured you'd say no."

“OBVIOUSLY I'D SAY NO!" Griffin snapped back and as they went through a back and forth argument… someone stepped out of the gym.

“Will you all stop yelling on my……." They stopped in silence as everyone looked at them and they looked back at a bunch of crazy looking foreigners dressed up as characters from some old and dated anime… It was this brutally awkward and long silence before they began to laugh. They laughed so hard that Griffin felt his face go red. Any more and he was afraid that all the blood in his body would be stuck in his swelled cheeks permanently. “Well this is… a pleasant surprise!" They'd express “I used to watch glimpses of that show when I was younger… are you ALL Trainers? This is absolutely delightful! I'm Erika. Welcome to my gym." She'd say and tenderly snickered into her hand.

“I like her…" Melody expressed “She's not as loud as Surge is…" Griffin partially sagged his shoulders and gave a casual huff at his hair… it was an absolute mess and to top it all off he just had to be in that dumb outfit…

“What smells… like…" Griffin sniffed again and Luna partially covered her nose. It smelled like flowers, but the smell was so overpowering that it left her head to spin. “That smells like a perfume my mom used to buy…?" Griffin tapped his… boot laden foot against the concrete. “t – that totally is! Where is that coming from?"

“Uh… Griff?" Brad began to say

“Yeah hold… hold on. I gotta… I gotta buy her a bottle and send it to her! She loves that perfume!" Griffin laughed a little “It'll be great! I can imagine her opening the box and everything!" He'd express and without holding his excitement back about it… “It'll make up for the fact that she can't go out on her own." It left everyone a little quiet and he felt himself go blank “Obviously because she doesn't have the time!" Natasha rolled her eyes aimlessly and without missing a beat… there was this precious little 'Vee!' that touched the air.

Yuny stuck her head out of Natasha's little pouch; the one around her neck as though she proudly wore it like a satchel. Natasha tapped her foot on the ground

“You bozo! Erika MAKES Perfumes! Your mother ordered it from her site; it's one of the only places in Japan that makes them authentically. Griffin went blank and nervously shrugged.

The Gym Leader had this happy… stupidly happy smile on her face.

“That I do. I make all sorts of wonderful perfumes from all sorts of things… I'm actually rushing through the last batch of orders for one."

“The one you're making; C – Can I buy one?" Erika shook her head no and that left Griffin to sigh.

“I'm sorry… it's an older recipe of mine; I'd be able to make plenty if all those rare candies weren't stolen…" Griffin recoiled a little

“What do you mean?" Erika sighed

“With all the confusion last night, someone broke into the only place in the city that even remotely produces them. It's hard to get the materials to even MAKE the Rare Candies; I use a small amount of a… tincture so to speak; before it becomes a hard candy, I mean. I was supposed to have some huge order coming in, something for winter coming in but… the entire stock just… vanished?" Griffin blinked a little more.

“Why would anyone want all those rare candies?" Erika shrugged delicately

“I don't know, it's the same thing as the Poké Balls in Vermillion. There was some big blackout for a while, then the police had a silent alarm go off. Apparently, someone made off with a bunch of worthless Poké Balls." Griffin tilted his head

“Worthless?" Brad expressed with confusion in his voice. Erika nodded in reply to him… the one dressed up as Alphonse at the end of that show…

“Well, it was a repair shop that specializes in fixing them, some trainers like to keep onto their first Poké Ball as a memento. All the ones they stole were freshly refurbished, before any of that fancy computer stuff was put in… Software, I think… Why would you need a… not working Poké Ball?" Griffin just blinked a little and felt his skin crawl bit by bit… Luna looked at him with curious eyes.

What… did you realize Griffin? What's wrong? I can feel you quake from your rucksack even.

“That's kind of dumb, I mean I guess some second-rate thug could sell them for cheap on the road." Brad expressed “Poké Balls can go for a high number, especially when you find places where the demand is high and the supply is low. Not only that you have several types of individuals who can't even buy them… you need to have a trainer ID or regular ID… It's like buying beer, sort of."

“You just compared Poké Balls to beer Brad…" Melody expressed, and Brad just nodded

“Well that's kind of like the system, it stops ANYBODY from buying one; there's some messed up people out there!" Brad expressed and chuckled a little as Natasha perked up

“Where's Aura?" Brad nervously laughed

“She got scared when you dyed my hair… I can see her on the roof of the gym. Probably didn't want to get near me" Brad nervously laughed “I mean it's not everyday she wakes up and see's my hair change color magically right!?" Brad expressed “I honestly think Natasha went a little too far… you even did my eyebrows…"

“You'd look worse with blond hair and brown eyebrows Brad!" Natasha commented “Anyways… you could fit a good Suguro cosplay… get you in a school outfit…" Brad frantically tossed up his hands and made an X out of them

“No way am I doing this EVER again." He expressed “It's bad enough I'll be stuck with this… this… It's not even a cookie and cream look or a salt and pepper look! When my hair grows back in it'll look TERRIBLE" Natasha giggled a little

“I'll cut your hair!" She'd express with a sing song voice as Griffin just tapped his boot.

“So I guess… you're too busy for a gym challenge Erika?" She'd seem to hum a little

“It's better on Sunday's for me… today isn't a Sunday… buuut you all already here; and I could get YOU to sample some of my perfumes!" Griffin went a little blank and as he did… Natasha punched him in the arm.

“Yes YES! Of course, I'll sample perfumes! I'll find the best one for my mom!"

That hurt more then you thought right Griffin? You're rubbing your arm like nuts… Luna huffed to herself and looked down to her left.

“Like the view?" Luna shrugged a little at Bandit's comment.

“It beats walking all the time, I don't get what got into him he just… sat down in the hotel with those funny wires in his ear. Looked upset… looked outside. I don't get it." She mentioned, and Bandit just rolled her eyes.

“Yeah… those things are dumb, I wish he'd stop buying them after I rip them apart…" She idly commented to Luna and just pushed Griffin's leg. “Come on you dumb trainer… just get in the gym; I want to get out of this sweet smelling air BEFORE I vomit…" Luna only watched and felt Griffin stumble from Bandit's rampant pushes of protest

“Alright alright…! Bandit there's no need to shove… stop being such a pooch…" He'd comment back at her and it just left Bandit open-maw'd before she'd snap her jaw shut and plume out smoke from her fire-fang… Erika seemed to recoil

“T – that Mightyena has a… bit of a temper." Griffin blinked

“O – oh she's not allowed to battle… d – do you want to check my training… ID?" Erika simply shrugged

“It doesn't…" She yawned midway through “Matter to me really. I'll help you find the perfect perfume for your mother! Then I'll show you EXACTLY what a grass gym is all about!"

Griffin didn't know how long he was stuck in there with Erika, just lost in this endless swirl of different kind's of scents; the kind that were strong enough that he could nearly TASTE them just by the scent. Like how some smelled so strongly of a flower, but he'd feel a hint of sugary cinnamon on his tongue… naturally he'd say that's not what he'd want. They just ended up going through her entire available stock… the best one he could find was… Well they were all GOOD… just nothing like what he caught onto before.

“Hmm… try… this; it's a little more vintage in make. An Amber or… Oriental." Griffin seemed to shrug and gave it a chance.

“It… makes me think of a wood…? I can't describe it really."

“It's made with vanilla, distilled in cedar wood and the oils are caught here." Griffin frowned a little. This was taking WAY too much time and the last thing he wanted to do was stand and smell all sorts of different flavorful things until his head spun. “Are there any kind of flowers your mother likes?" Griffin coughed a little.

“I… Water Lily. She loves them. It's all the colors, right? All the various kinds that just… I guess appear." Erika just hummed and haw'd for a while before she picked up a bottle

“It's more of an extract… but I do have white lily. It's a singular floral fragrance; very powerful." She'd express as Griffin looked behind him

Everyone was waiting on him by now. Natasha whispered something

“A little overkill for his own mother…" She expressed as Erika only let him try the smallest amount of it

“T – That is strong…" Griffin mentioned and blinked “You… don't have it as a fragrance?"

“I can make it into one! How does two hundred milliliters sound?" She'd ask, and Griffin nodded

“T – that sounds about right!" Griffin expressed as Erika simply did some math on her fingers.

“That'll be Three hundred and Seventy Poke!" Griffin felt his soul escape from his body when he heard THAT number.

“W – what's it in Yen? Ha… hahaha…?"

“Oh that's forty-five thousand seven hundred and sixty-one Yen." She replied a little too quickly as someone in the back muttered

“She said it so casually as though everyone asks that question…" Griffin just nervously laughed in reply

He ended up buying it and quietly asked Erika to send it to a hospital room in Kalos… that little fact left her quiet about it. She even covered the shipping costs for him. That's when he found himself standing around a greenhouse… or what was the pure definition of one that seemed to extravagant to be true. There were hedges all along every single inch of a wonderfully well-placed stone walkway; the entire thing resembled this beautiful… ancient and lost forest – the kind with cherry blossoms and plum trees. One that crossed Griffin's eyes with colors that left him in complete shock. A conservatory like this seemed endless even though the building outside was small and odd in shape. The entire building was the greenhouse. Griffin just felt his heart stop for a moment. Moonlight curiously padded in front of him with his paws splayed outward... his forked tail flicked against the ground in wonder.

Luna just stared at it all from Griffin's shoulders…

Absol just looked up at the ceiling where the sunlight poured through and… Scarf just kept his eyes fixed on her, his tail twitchy and his body resembled jell.

Bandit just huffed and stared at some weak little flower that prodded out of the cracks in the tile, before she'd annoyingly sigh and look away from it and…

Thief was the only one that didn't see it. Luna just stared down Griffin's side as though to hope she could see his capsule. Erika just sat at the end of the walkway, dressed in this beautiful kimono as she was for the entire time they talked and met… but now it was full of color and grace. Her stance had said it all with dignity and justified pride.

“This is my gym, I welcome you all to it. Now who may go first?" Erika expressed and without missing a beat… in the loudest voice out of all of them…

Was Melody? As though she got so excited or awe-struck from someone so regal.

“I am!" She'd express and then covered her mouth as though she didn't think her voice could get that loud. She'd clear her throat politely and then smiled “I am, please." Melody expressed and walked by them…

The… officer like uniform really didn't help her look that regal. In fact, the cosplay itself made her look wild. Natasha simply grinned and made this excited little giggle

“What are you doing?" Griffin began to say

“It's like some kind of crazy cross over fanfic!" She'd express delightfully, and Griffin took a half step away from her. “I LOVE that I made them myself too!"

That's why they look so rugged and real…? Luna felt herself nervously chuckle That's overkill… I'm glad I'm not them but… I'm in this battle upcoming right? Being told what to do from some tacky outfit wearing trainer? She'd seem to laugh a little It beats all the dramatical crap going on I guess… maybe I could even have a little fun instead…?

Melody stepped to the front and as she passed the last row of hedges towards Erika… they'd all realize that the entire round about and the center of the green house WAS the battlefield. It had thick shrubs and the trees were more then easy to hide in… probably to sleep. Luna figured that with the way Erika kept yawning. They all just wandered in and as they did a crack and flash caught Luna's ears and eyes.

Leafeon? Moonlight just growled and huffed at him as the Leafeon looked towards Erika. It made her feel… relieved in some way. At least Moonlight wasn't busy oogling over him as much but…

But she wanted to know what suddenly changed. That Leafeon gave her a close… nearly stern but understanding look. That look made her fix her eyes to the front.

“Moonlight." She could hear his voice speak out

“Don't bother me." Moonlight replied, “Why don't you do me a favor and wake me up when Griffin is up…" Moonlight's voice felt… different. Colder… it even caught Bandit's attention. The Leafeon only shrugged as Melody pulled a capsule from her belt.

It basically worked as the sash for that god-awful cosplay outfit.

So Melody just pulled out a Poké Ball and let it fly…

“Alright… let's work together Nidoran!" She'd comment as though utterly excited for this gym battle. It cracked and popped out of the shell and that left Luna to tilt her head

I haven't met her before… but judging by the look on Natasha's face… did she catch it for Melody? She must've. Erika simply yawned and expressed

“Best of three… Then I'll go to bed… Wait… you only have two? No… still best of three." Erika mentioned softly and pulled out a Poké Ball from behind her back. “Let's start Jumpluff!" She'd express and let the Poké Ball crack open to show off this blue… puffy and floating little Pokémon. There were three wonderful balls of cotton that suspiciously appeared like a certain flower or weed Luna knew quite well. Melody immediately felt her eyes go wide

“So cuute! I remember all of those from back home!" She'd express “You see; I come from Johto!" Melody expressed with this giggle that Griffin never saw her make before. She was always so… straight faced with eyes that never really met anyone else's; something that to him made her seem nervous or shy but… there was this predatory look on her face now. Like she spent all of her time desiring to experience everything life had to offer. Like she wanted to grab life by the throat and throttle it of everything it knew. It was a side of her that left chills to run through his back, what changed here?

What was so abrupt that she of all people looked so fiery…? Griffin felt a little shock of jealousy run through him as he'd watch her turn around Even if it was for a moment.

Erika simply yawned and seemed to gently stretch before calling out something.

“You go first; challenger usually does anyways." Melody happily smiled and playfully bowed in that strange uniform.

It looked straight out of the show; color and all… Griffin just had to blink a few times while he looked at it before he glared at his own tacky outfit. Luna just looked at his face… it held that one look as though he thought 'Of course I get this one' or 'Right…?' She couldn't tell the difference with him and looked around the gym. She could see Moonlights tail from the bushline as though he just lazily looked for the widest patch of sunlight. It was just a little past mid-day for them, perhaps even later.

“Alright Nidoran! Use tackle!" All it did was tilt its head back at her as Melody just went limp. “You… don't know tackle?" She'd huff “That's okay! Use tail whip!" Luna felt her face go red… it was embarrassing to watch, and she'd simply think to herself

I swear to anything… Griffin if you EVER make me do that, I'll bite you again… I'm not shaking my tail for ANYONE. It came to her mind as the Nidoran just shook its little stub after it bolted up to the Jumpluff. It looked like it tried to tickle its nose in some way.

“Dumb trick… it might work for weak and unmotivated Pokémon; but if it wants to rip you apart it leaves you wide open." Bandit expressed with a vicious plume of air “Or… it could always do anything worse before it tears your limbs from your torso. It's why I never do it." Luna just watched the fight closely and hardly gave her a glance. Bandit obnoxiously sprawled out as though to take up the entire walkway… with her size she easily did. All she could do was listen to Bandit behind her.

“I still need to train you… watching you fight… it's exciting, Luna. It's like a fire I've only rarely seen before. Absolutely electrifying; I like it, it's got spunk… sass. Personally, I'd say you're way out of Thief's league, why don't you go for a better male? Akamaru seems like a decent choice; if he'd train more and get off his rear. At least he's not as fat as Thief is." Luna just growled to herself.

What's up with her? Is she trying to amp me up…? That sounded more like a direct hit against…

“Don't let the runt distract you from your training; Now pay attention!" Bandit snapped her jaws firmly and that left Luna stiff as a board as she focused on the slow battle.

Erika immediately followed up with Rest. It seemed like a weird tactic… just watching the Jumpluff fall asleep without any warning. Erika simply yawned herself and Luna had to blink a little

It… was injured before the battle started? Why would Erika use an injured Pokémon to fight?

“Alright Nidoran! Use Scratch!" Melody expressed and the Nidoran just turned around to the sleeping Jumpluff…

It wasn't there, Luna caught onto the sight of it and Griffin checked his Pokédex…

“Jumpluff is a unique Pokémon, at least I've always found it to be. It's lightweight like the cotton spores on Dandelions and when it falls asleep it's said to be taken from the wind accidently, yet it never strays away from seasonal ones. It releases spore all over the regions; every single one around the world… A single one is expected to have landed into every region at least once. Asleep or not. They may look cute" Logan laughed into the Pokédex “But they are tricky little things, resting just naturally lets it avoid attacks thanks to its lightweight stature if the wind is in well conditions." Luna just listened to the familiar voice and shut her eyes.

There's wind in here… like… fans…? It's using artificial air to move around the battlefield? And the battlefield is like a forest but if it circulates around the room it'll only go one way… right? Luna just watched it swing off like it caught a current and cross around the field. Nidoran just stared up at it; stunned.

“Nidoran! The tree!" Melody called out gently “Try to catch up to it! It's bound to land or get close to one!" Melody expressed and huffed at Erika “Doing that is a dirty trick! It's just like home all over again!" Erika found a small giggle

“I guess you tried to catch them too!" She'd express, and Melody sighed and giggled

“I was that kind of girl, always thought they'd get hurt!" She'd mention and ran after Nidoran as Erika casually wandered the outside of the field as though she wandered through a garden.

“Jumpuff, use Sleep Talk" Luna only felt her eyes flicker as she'd glare at the battlefield… yet she'd hear Bandit

“Go; Watch and learn. It may all be important." She'd say, and Luna jumped from Griffin's bag to get a closer look, she'd loop around the way that Melody did.

I see the Jumpluff… it used… Stun Spore? She's trying to coat the field with them… right Bandit? She'd catch up with them while staying wide to the sides of the battlefield, all along the trainer's side of things.

“Nidoran, stay close to the brush!" It just made a sound and jolted down from this low hanging tree. It left Luna to tilt her head.

The spores caught all through the… garden, I guess… They wouldn't touch the ground unless they went into an opening. Luna felt herself think as she'd watch that white Nidoran sprint from bush to bush while it hugged the underside of things. It was like a veil or a curtain that stopped the stun spore from touching the Nidoran, it left Luna to blink as they waited it out while keeping up with the Jumpluff.

She's doing all of this without… Smokey? Luna blinked a little bit and then felt her haunches rise. _Wait… She's wearing…?

“You do know my dad owns an automobile company right? Laurent Motors Inc…" Natasha's voice crept through Luna's back. “Your stuff is at the Pokémon Center… I told them I was holding onto it for a friend…"_ Luna just looked at Melody as she'd adjust them and huffed.

They… seemed behind… Whenever Griffin checked his phone for news on them. Stayed at the Pokémon Center even though the hotel had plenty of beds.

Was it crazy not to believe that someone could easily afford and put a push on a pair of glasses? Luna just felt her tail flicker out.

She's not using… Nidoran because she can… see? I didn't even notice. Why would…? They were a black pair, a slim pair that went well with her face and just showed off this regal maturity. Luna just had a flashback towards Vermillion when Griffin got all passionate. Excited… started talking all sorts of nonsense about how they'd help her…

How they'd waste time to help someone they barely knew anything about.

“Nidoran! Use Headbutt! Aim there." Melody expressed and pointed a finger which Nidoran barely looked to see before it bolted towards empty space, one in-between a bush… between a scarce treeline. With a pair of glasses, it felt like she was cheating.

Luna just felt the blood rush through her as the Jumpluff landed in view last second and the Nidoran tackled it head on.

“Jumpluff!" Erika made a noise and tsked “Use Sleeptalk!" Luna only glared as it seemed to swoop and sway with the wind before a sudden sweet wind swung her way.

She'd never even felt anything like it, but it was sharp; cold… and hot all at the same time – it made her hazardly tumble to the left.

Jumpluff used Fairywind… and it nearly hit Luna instead. She'd shake her head and wiggled her ears.

That was too close… what was… THAT? It felt gentle then it felt like something tried to cut me in half… talk about sweet and sour… It tossed through Luna's skull as she'd give a little laugh and checked her chest That was… weirdly dark… Erika called out Sleep Talk again and suddenly there was a collection of crackles

“Dodge it Nidoran! Go for another headbutt! Zig zag!" Luna simply lifted her head up to the sharp seed that struck and pelted downward towards the Nidoran.

It ran through a hail of bullets, winced at a blow or two against it's weird leathery-like skin before it landed another blow.

In moments they seemed to follow all around the battlefield, the only thing Luna could note was the shrubs… a tree in the center that left the field open in the middle and then the outside which rimmed around it was like a grassy plain. It went from one side of the field to another… Luna ended up back where she started. That Nidoran was tougher then she expected, and Erika made a little giggle

“Do you know why trainers only get four moves for their Pokémon… Melody?" She'd express, and Melody tilted her head, Griffin did too. “They're like… clutch moves. The basic move any Pokémon focuses on to strengthen. Some work better with others, mind you… however keeping a balance is very important all around, especially when working with a team." Erika mentioned, and Natasha seemed to watch with big bright eyes. Luna felt herself feel nervous

Please don't dress me up next… It came to her mind as she'd watch Natasha as though she lived that crazy cross over now; then Griffin's hair stood out on end as he'd obviously point

“Y- y- You got glasses!?" Melody went red “W -When!?" Natasha laughed harder then Griffin thought she would

“You really are blunt and blind…" Natasha expressed as Brad perked up; he didn't make much commotion, just sat and checked his phone from time to time.

With the entire row of chairs… Aura sat the furthest away from him all because of his magical change of hair color. In her defense… Brad wasn't much of a blonde…

“Back at Vermillion, after you left Natasha complained 'Let's just get this done and over with' and almost DRAGGED Melody to a walk-in eye clinic." Natasha shrugged as Griffin just gave her a look

“I get stuff done; what can I say?" She'd remark cheekily “Melody was freaked out by the doctor though." Brad laughed nervously

“Yeah… she was kind of freaked out by the doctor; doesn't like them much it seems…" Brad expressed “So Natasha mentioned something like 'why would we have a boring plot device like THAT!?'

It left Natasha to giggle in reply as Melody and Erika stood off… even though Luna should have been watching the fight she was distracted with the trainers talking. “So, Natasha got her to get her eyes checked, then called her father for a hand..."

“I like my dad it's my bitch mother I hate…" Natasha expressed and sighed “Luckily SHE didn't answer the phone. So, my dad made a few calls all through yesterday and told me the glasses were already done and waiting pick up in Celadon." Natasha expressed as Griffin went blank.

“H – How much did that even cost?"

“In Yen or Poké?" Griffin shrugged

“Either?"

“It wasn't anything." Natasha expressed “The company that sold the glasses is world wide and does work for my dad for his car company. They put a push on it. It doesn't take anything to cut a set of glasses when you have a company that you spend MILLIONS daily on anyways…" Natasha commented, and Griffin choked; it was this weird sound that made Luna look his way.

He hit his chest time and time again till it cleared.

“Muh… what?" Natasha laughed harder, it seemed more at him then anything.

“Well I did my part of the bargain I guess, even helped her catch the Nidoran." Natasha shrugged softly “What? Didn't think I was badass enough to get THAT done?"

Brad just nervously laughed as Griffin just blinked as blankly as he could

“Y – yeah… she wanted to become a trainer instead. Her dad even offered her an allowance but all she said was “Just cover payments for a small place in Kalos" and it was done…" Griffin blinked a little more

“You're open jawed you moron…" Natasha commented and it was Bandit that stood on her hind legs and pushed his jaw close.

Or more upper-cutted him, Luna couldn't tell. Either way it looked like it hurt enough to get his mind off it.

“That's crazy…" Griffin expressed, and Natasha simply laughed to herself

“It worked, so that's all that matters." She finished the conversation “Now GO MELODY GO!" Griffin felt his hands clap together. It was this insanely close fight… but one lucky Headbutt after Jumpluff woke up was all it took… even though Nidoran was already run ragged enough that Melody had to return her.

“Alright…" Erika commented and let out two other Pokémon… that…

Houndoom took care of without breaking a sweat; even though it acted all dramatic when it fought the last two.

There was no way they could beat it… no matter how much Luna ran the battle through her own mind. It left Erika a little awestruck… and won Melody a badge.

“See Nidoran! You did absolutely wonderful!" She'd express to the Nidoran that made a happy chirp, the Houndoom looked more indifferent about it. “And you too Smokey! You always do great!"

“Hey Griff." Brad expressed and gave him a push. “Get in there! Natasha and I want to see you next. We're all doing this… vote on who REALLY wins at the end. It's all based on flair or whatnot. Natasha thought it be fun to have a competition!" Natasha held back her head with a wonderful laugh.

“Come on Griff! Or are you only good for cheap shots?" Griffin felt himself tighten his grip on his belt and stand on the stone.

“Best of three…" Erika expressed and whistled. It was like the entire greenhouse came alive. “Since you bought my perfume… how about you go against my Vileplume first?" Erika expressed “It's my pride and joy." Griffin nodded and rolled his shoulders before dropping his bag and finally taking off that stupid tacky jacket.

“I like the sound of that! Luna, you're up!" Griffin expressed confidently as Erika giggled

“You remind me of another trainer that dressed up to get in here. Dressed up as a girl even!" Griffin's eye twitched “Didn't really beat me either… but you have that… it's hard to explain really. It's not the same but it looks an awful lot like it." Erika mentioned as Griffin bit his lip

“Is the trainers name Ash?" Griffin expressed and figuratively ((Or literally)) hit the floor when she said yes. “Fine; I'll just have to beat you and catch up to him!" Griffin stated, “If he's THAT good of a trainer, then I doubt this'll be a cakewalk kind of fight."

“He dressed up as a girl Griffin" Brad remarked as Griffin expressed

“THAT TAKES SOME DEDICATION YOU KNOW!?" His face was red from embarrassment and that left Bandit to yip and holler like any other savannah creature. Even Luna giggled too.

I think it sounded smarter and cooler in his own mind… but it's just funny. Luna parted her legs and felt her paw shift against the ground. It was soft, moist soil as though rich dirt was freshly planted beneath her.

“Challenger gets the first move" Erika mentioned regally

“Alright Luna" Griffin expressed, wearing all black with hints of white now “Let's start off with Flamethrower!"

“Dodge and use Petal Dance." She expressed softly and Luna let out a roar of fire; the kind that darkened the room because of how bright it became yet… it was that sudden and endless swirl of petals that only stopped it.

The endless wall of flowers stopped her fire, as though regardless of how much was burned away it just added more and more onto it. “The key to stopping fire in Endurance, Griffin." Erika commented and giggled “Now use Dazzling Gleam." She'd express

“Luna; hide your eyes with your paws. Hit the ground!" Luna stalled and hit the ground until something launched her into the air from the side

It used headbutt!? And there was the sudden and bright flash that peered against her eyes and flickered her blind. She'd only squint and snarled before she let out another flamethrower.

“Luna use Firespin on the ground below you!" Griffin expressed loudly

What!? Like hell I'm doing that!!? I'd roast MYSELF you moron! It came in her mind as she bit her tongue and hit the ground with starry blind eyes. She flicked her ears and listened It's head is heavy so it ca-

Something struck at her instantly; it came from her rear-right side… the blow was enough to send her reeling that way with a sharp yelp; her energy felt sapped. Mega Drain!? So I did… hit it? Luna shook her head and looked around the open field. Why is it so fast!? There's a trick to it I know there is! Luna tried to flash back to the petals… I couldn't see because I went to hard with… Damn… Luna braced her legs and tossed them until the firmly arched into the ground Then move and find it!?

“You're Vulpix is certainly headstrong. It looks a little distracted… Shame, I heard Misty talk so highly of it too."

“Luna! Use Flamethrower, surround yourself with it! Guard!" Griffin expressed but instead; Luna used Extrasensory.

Stop telling me what to do! I got this; I just need to find it Luna felt it enter her mind as she'd defiantly disobey it… it's not like HIS commands helped her in Cerulean or Pewter. Luna flicked her tails out and let five blue-fiery orbs flicker between them. Will-O-Wisp Extrasensory to find and strike it, Wisp to ail it… and Hex to finish it. Luna felt something connect in the back of her mind, it was behind her? No… it followed the flow of the wind?

“Use Reflect!" Erika ordered to her Vileplume in the last few seconds and Luna jolted her legs back to jump away. The blow missed her and left Erika to nod “She does move gracefully. Dancing on the battlefield, even cleaned and groomed she still looks like some wild, feral princess. It's adorable, Griffin. But cute looks aren't enough to win a battle. Endurance and focus are the key points."

“Luna Firespin!" She didn't listen to that order.

“That and trust" Luna felt her haunches rise. “Trust is what you need to win a real battle, being headstrong Griffin will simply not do." Luna felt a shadow on her… then she noticed the flurry of petals.

The petals got me… turned around!? It made the battlefield look similar on all sides!? “Now use Poison Powder!" Luna shocked her tails out with a sudden flair and jolt… the Vileplume yelped and even though she held her breath; she could feel this sickly… malevolent thing burrowed into her fur and skin. She'd pull back with another risky jump and skidded on the grass. Her claws dug into the earth to brace herself. “Now we finish this!" Erika expressed as Griffin made a command but… Luna felt her universe spin.

W… what's going on? It ran through her head as she'd stumble, I've barely taken damage…? I can keep… going… So why is…? She'd feel the grass on her back in a matter of seconds… Griffin's face overlooking her in a manner of eternal moments, as though it all went slow and hazy. Why can't I move? I can't move…? A gentle cough came over her as every sound she heard went distorted. Erika even ran over too. I'm… tired…? It didn't… it barely hit me. I want to keep going… just stand up… Her body didn't respond, at all. She just went frozen and felt that cold, sick thing churn in her very core… until she vomited and felt empty.

It didn't take long for her entire world to fade to black.